Pre-Historic Paintings

The pre-historic paintings fall into three main periods: the Upper Palaeolithic Era (40,000-10,000 BC) where large animals and human figures were depicted in vivid colours; the Mesolithic Period (10,000-4000 BC) where the art became smaller and focused on group hunting and daily activities; and the Chalcolithic Period, where green and yellow were introduced, and scenes of warfare were common. In this article, you will know about Pre-Historic Painting during three ancient periods. To explore more interesting UPSC Ancient Indian topics of GS Paper – 1 like Pre-Historic Painting, check out other articles and IAS Notes of IASToppers.  

Table of Content

• Introduction
• Three periods of pre-historic paintings
  • Upper Paleolithic Era (40,000-10,000 BC) 
  • Mesolithic Period (10,000-4000 BC)
  • Chalcolithic Period
• Conclusion

Pre-Historic Paintings

• Artwork in ancient times was typically created on stone surfaces, these stone inscriptions were referred to as Petroglyphs.
• In 1867-68, Archibold Carlleyle, an archaeologist, first discovered rock art in India, 12 years before similar art was discovered in Altamira, Spain.
• Early pioneers in this field, Cockburn, Anderson, Mitra, and Ghosh, uncovered a multitude of such archaeological sites across the Indian sub-continent.
• Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh were the first locations where these ancient artworks were unearthed.
• Other evidence of ancient rock paintings has been uncovered on the cave walls of various districts across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand (Kumaon hills), and Bihar.
• Along the River Suyal, the rock shelters at a location known as Lakhudiyar are home to these ancient art forms. Lakhudiyar means “one lakh caves.”
  • The artwork found in these caves can be broadly classified into three groups: depictions of:
    • Humans: Shown in simplistic, linear forms
    • Animals: A long-snouted creature, a fox, and a lizard with numerous legs.
    • Abstract geometric patterns: undulating lines, filled rectangles, and clusters of dots.
• One of the scenes display here involves a hand-linked dancing human figures.

• The Neolithic inhabitants found the granite rocks of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to be apt surfaces for their artwork.
• While there are numerous such locations, Kupgallu, Piklihal, and Tekkalkota are among the more well-known ones.

Three periods of pre-historic paintings

There are three primary Periods in of evolution of pre-historic paintings:

1. Upper Paleolithic Period (40,000-10,000 BC) 
2. Mesolithic Period (10,000-4000 BC)
3. Chalcolithic Period

Upper Paleolithic Era (40,000-10,000 BC)  

• The walls where upper paleolithic cave painting was found were quartzite in nature, allowing the usage of mineral-based pigments.  
• Ochre, also known as geru, was a popular mineral, often combined with lime and water.
• Various other minerals were utilized to produce an array of colors such as red, white, yellow, and green.
• These colors, including white, deep red, and green, were used to represent large animals such as bison, elephants, rhinos, tigers, etc.
• Human figures were also represented, with hunters in red and dancers usually in green.
• The most valuable artwork of this era is said to be found in the Vindhya mountains of Madhya Pradesh and its Kaimurean stretches into Uttar Pradesh.
• These mountain ranges are abundant with remains from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. Of these, the most impressive rock-shelter can be found in the hills of Vindhya at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhimbetka Caves

• It is situated to the south of Bhopal, in the Vidhyan mountains of Madhya Pradesh.
• Over 500 art pieces can be found within these rocky shelters.
• It was given distinction of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
• The ancient artworks here are believed to be as old as 30,000 years, and their preservation is attributed to the shelter’s deep cave locations.
• These caves showcase an unbroken timeline of residence from 100,000 BC to 1000 AD, with numerous artworks superimposed on older ones.
• The artwork found in Bhimbetka spans from the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Chalcolithic, early historic periods to even the medieval era. However, a significant number of these pieces are from the Mesolithic period.
• The art predominantly exhibits the routine activities of early men, usually represented as stick figures.
• A variety of animals such as elephants, bisons, deer, peacocks, and snakes are also captured in these artworks.
• Additionally, hunting expeditions and battle scenes featuring weapons like bows, arrows, spears, shields, and swords can be seen.
• Geometric patterns and symbols also find a place in some of these artworks.
• Other common themes include dancing, music, animal combat, and honey gathering.
• The social structure of the time is well-presented through images of children at play, women preparing meals, and community dances.
• A range of colours including red ochre, purple, brown, white, yellow, and green were used in these paintings.
• Natural sources were utilized to extract these colours, for instance, red was derived from Haematite ores.

Mesolithic Period (10,000-4000 BC)

• Most pre-historic artwork identified in India belong from cave paintings of mesolithic age.
• During this era, red color became predominant in mesolithic paintings in india.
• Compared to the Upper Paleolithic Era, the artwork became noticeably smaller in this era.
• Cave paintings of mesolithic age primarily displayed scenes of group hunting, while other artworks illustrated activities like herding and horse riding.
• The hunters are often illustrated in basic attire and occasionally with simple accessories.
• Some artworks show men with complex headgear, and at times, painted with facial coverings or masks.
• A wide range of animals, including elephants, bisons, tigers, boars, deer, antelopes, leopards, panthers, rhinoceroses, fish, frogs, lizards, squirrels, and occasionally birds are portrayed in the paintings.
• The animals are rendered in a realistic fashion, while human figures are depicted more stylistically.
• Langhnaj in Gujarat, Bhimbetka and Adamagarh in Madhya Pradesh, and SanganaKallu in Karnataka are notable Mesolithic locations where these paintings have been discovered.

Chalcolithic Period

• This era witnessed an uptick in the use of green and yellow in the artwork. Most of the artworks from this era display scenes of warfare.
  • Green was sourced from a green type of stone known as chalcedony, and white likely came from limestone.
  • The artists of this time also used white, orange, red ochre, purple, brown,   and black.
• The images powerfully represent both humans and animals in their battle for existence.
• The artworks from this era shows the relationship between the cave inhabitants of this region and the established farming societies in the Malwa plains.
• Often, Chalcolithic pottery and rock art share similar designs, such as checkered squares and lattices.
• Many artworks feature men riding horses and elephants. Some even have men holding bows and arrows, possibly indicating readiness for conflict.
• Evidence of the usage of these cave sites during the late historical periods is found in the form of Ashokan and Gupta Brahmi script artworks and writings.
• Another set of artworks from this era can be seen at Narsinghgarh in Madhya Pradesh.
• These artworks represent spotted deer skins left to dry, lending support to the idea that humans had mastered the art of leather processing for shelter and clothing.
• Other artworks from this era also depict musical instruments like the harp.
• Some of the artworks contain intricate geometric shapes like spirals, rhomboids, and circles.

Examples:

• The Jogimara Caves, located in Ramgarh hills of the Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, are renowned for their artistry from a later era, believed to have been created around 1000 BC.
• Chhattisgarh also have diverse range of caves across the Kanker district, including those at Udkuda, Garagodi, Khairkheda, Gotitola, Kulgaon, and others.
  • Artwork in these shows images of people, animals, handprints, ox-drawn carts and more, reflecting a developed and settled lifestyle.
• In the Korea district, the Ghodsar and Kohabaur sites feature similar artwork.
• Chitwa Dongri, located in the Durg district, has depictions of a Chinese individual on a donkey, dragon drawings, and scenes of farming life.
• Further cave paintings have been discovered at Limdariha in the Bastar district, and at Oogdi and Sitalekhni in the Surguja district.
• In Odisha, the Gudahandi and Yogimatha Rock Shelters stand out as significant examples of ancient cave art.

Conclusion

Prehistoric paintings in India are a valuable source of information about the lives and cultures of our early ancestors. They provide us with a glimpse into their world, their beliefs, and their way of life. These paintings are a valuable resource for archaeologists and historians

Ref: Source-1

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