Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: A significant archaeological discovery was made in the Manchirevula Forest Trek Park near Hyderabad.
- Ancient rock paintings that appear to date back to the Mesolithic period.
- The paintings, which are in red pigment, depict three tortoises, a fish, and a geometric motif.
- The paintings are approximately 6,000 to 12,000 years old, placing them within the Mesolithic era, which spans from 10,000 to 4,000 BC.
- The site is well-preserved due to its covered nature, and there are plans to create a protective fence and clear a path for visitors to view the art while ensuring its conservation.
Prehistoric rock paintings:
The term ‘Prehistory’ refers to the distant past when there was no paper or language, and hence painting and drawing were the oldest art forms practised by human beings to express themselves, using the cave walls as their canvas. The first discovery of rock paintings was made in India in 1867–68 by an archaeologist, Archibold Carlleyle, twelve years before the discovery of Altamira in Spain.
| Period | Upper Paleolithic (40000 – 10000 BC) | Mesolithic (10000 – 4000 BC) | Mesolithic Rock Painting |
| Paintings | Linear representations of animal and human figures | Smaller in size with hunting scenes predominating | Made with natural white kaolin and red ochre pigments |
| Prominent Locations | Vindhya ranges of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh | Langhnaj (Gujarat), Bhimbetka, Adamgarh | Guntur |
| Themes | Daily life events to sacred and royal images | The naturalistic style for animals, stylistic for humans | Depicts social life and culture, man tilling the land |
