Prehistoric Rock Paintings in India

Prehistoric rock paintings in India are the oldest art forms practised by human beings to express themselves, using the cave walls as their canvas. The subjects of the paintings were human figures, human activities, geometric designs, and symbols. Prehistoric rock paintings in India help us to understand early human beings, their lifestyle, their food habits, their daily activities, and their mind. The paintings found in India can be divided into three categories: Man, Animal, and Geometric symbols. The discovery of prehistoric rock paintings in India was made by archaeologists like Archibold Carlleyle, John Cockburn, Robert Bruce Foote, Hiranand Sankalia, V. S. Wakankar, Alexander Rea, and Stuart Piggott in different parts of the country.

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Table of Content

• Prehistoric Rock Paintings in India
• Discovery of prehistoric rock paintings in India
• Upper Palaeolithic Paintings
• Mesolithic paintings
• Chalcolithic Paintings
• Bhimbetka Rock Paintings
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Prehistoric Rock Paintings in India

• Prehistory refers to the distant past when there was no paper or language or the written word.
• Painting and drawing were the oldest art forms practised by human beings to express themselves.
• The main subjects of prehistoric painting were human figures, human activities, geometric designs, and symbols.
• Prehistoric rock paintings in India help us to understand about early human beings, their lifestyle, their food habits, their daily activities, and their mind.
• Major Phases of prehistoric paintings:
  • Upper Paleolithic Paintings
  • Mesolithic Paintings
  • Chalcolithic Paintings

Discovery of prehistoric rock paintings in India

• 1867–68: Archaeologist Archibold Carlleyle discovered the first prehistoric rock paintings in India in the Sohagighat rock shelter in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh.
• 1879: John Cockburn discovered rock paintings in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
• 1880: Robert Bruce Foote discovered rock paintings in Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh.
• 1894: Hiranand Sankalia discovered rock paintings in Nashik district, Maharashtra.
• 1957–58: V. S. Wakankar discovered rock paintings in Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh.
• 1961: Alexander Rea discovered rock paintings in Kupgallu, Karnataka.
• 1962: Stuart Piggott discovered rock paintings in Piklihal, Karnataka.
• 1964: H. D. Sankalia discovered rock paintings in Tekkalkota, Karnataka.

Upper Palaeolithic Paintings

• The Upper Paleolithic phase of art is characterized by linear representations in green and dark red of huge animal figures, including bison, elephants, tigers, rhinos, and boars.
• The paintings also feature stick-like human figures.
  • The green paintings are of dancers, and the red ones are of hunters.
• A few paintings are wash paintings, but most are filled with geometric patterns.

Mesolithic paintings

• The Mesolithic period has the largest number of paintings.
• The paintings during this period are smaller in size, but the themes multiply.
• Important Mesolithic sites: Langhnaj in Gujarat, Bhimbetka and Adamagarh in Madhya Pradesh, and SanganaKallu in Karnataka.

Hunting Scenes Depiction:

• Hunting scenes predominate in Mesolithic paintings.
  • The hunting scenes depict people hunting in groups, armed with barbed spears, pointed sticks, arrows, and bows.
• Primitive men are shown with traps and snares to catch animals in some paintings.
• The hunters are shown wearing simple clothes and ornaments.
• Sometimes, men have elaborate headdresses, and sometimes painted with masks.

Animal Depiction:

• The paintings depict elephants, bison, tiger, boar, deer, antelope, leopards, panthers, rhinoceros, fish, frogs, lizards, squirrels, and birds.
• The Mesolithic artists painted animals, and in some pictures, animals are chasing men.
• Animals were painted in a naturalistic style.

Human Depiction:

• Humans were depicted only in a stylistic manner.
• Women were painted both in the nude and clothed.
• The paintings depict the young and the old equally.
• Children are painted running, jumping, and playing.
• Many rock shelters have hand prints, fist prints, and dots made by the fingertips.

Chalcolithic Paintings

• Chalcolithic rock paintings depict the association and contact between cave dwellers and settled agricultural communities in the Malwa plains.
• Chalcolithic ceramics and rock paintings often share common motifs, such as cross-hatched squares and lattices.
• Pottery and metal tools are also depicted in Chalcolithic rock paintings.
• The paintings of this period are less vivid and lively than those of earlier periods.
• Primitive paintings are of high quality, despite being from the remote past.

Human and Animal Depiction:

• The men in the paintings appear adventurous and joyful.
• The animals in the paintings are depicted as more youthful and majestic than they may have actually been.
• The paintings depict a dramatic struggle for survival between men and animals.
• These paintings may have given humans a sense of power over the animals they encountered in the wild.

Bhimbetka Rock Paintings

• Location: Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• Number of rock shelters: Bhimbetka has over 750 rock shelters, many of which contain prehistoric paintings.
• Age of the paintings: The paintings are thought to date back as far as 30,000 years ago.
• Subject matter of the paintings: The paintings depict a variety of scenes, including hunting, dancing, and religious rituals.
• Techniques used to create the paintings: The paintings were created using a variety of techniques, including charcoal, ochre, and hematite.
• Significance of the paintings: The paintings are considered to be some of the oldest and most important examples of prehistoric art in India.
  • They provide insights into the lives of early humans in India, including their hunting practices, religious beliefs, and social customs.

Conclusion

Prehistoric rock paintings in India are a crucial part of India’s cultural heritage. The Upper Paleolithic phase of art is characterized by linear representations of huge animal figures, including bison, elephants, tigers, rhinos, and boars, and stick-like human figures. The Mesolithic period has the largest number of paintings, depicting hunting scenes, animals, and geometric symbols. The Chalcolithic rock paintings depict the association and contact between cave dwellers and settled agricultural communities in the Malwa plains. Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Madhya Pradesh, India, with over 750 rock shelters, many of which contain prehistoric paintings.

Ref: Source-1

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)