Bengaluru: Archaeologists have unearthed a treasure trove of prehistoric sites in Chintamani taluk (85km from Bengaluru), Chikkaballapur district, during a four-month survey. Among the discoveries are rock paintings, believed to date back to the Neolithic period, roughly 10,000 years ago. These paintings, located on a granite rock at Siddanamalebetta in Batlahalli panchayat, are a groundbreaking find, according to the archaeologists.
The team under the aegis of the department of archaeology and the Karnataka Itihasa Academy documented 40 previously unknown prehistoric sites during the survey.
“Until now, only six prehistoric sites were recorded in Chintamani taluk. In these 40 new sites, we documented 97 varieties of prehistoric art, tools, burial sites, and artifacts during the survey. This also includes ash mounds and iron slags from the Iron Age. For the first time, we’ve discovered rock paintings in the entire Chikkaballapur district, which is significant,” said Pawan Mourya Chakravarthy, a research scholar involved in the discovery.
It was a chance encounter with a villager which led them to the rock paintings. “We were examining a historical-period inscription when a villager told us about another ‘inscription’ made with what he described as betel nut spittle. He led us to a rock near the Siddara Gavi caves. On a stone referred to locally as Sule Gundu or Lanja Banda (prostitute’s stone), we found prehistoric paintings depicting bulls, peacocks, elephants, wild boars, and human figures,” Chakravarthy explained.
What the villager thought was spittle turned out to be red ochre used by Stone Age artists.
On the age of these paintings, he said, “These date back to the Neolithic age which spanned from 10,000 BCE to around 2000 BCE. So these paintings could be 10,000 years old. Further analysis will give a more specific timeline.” The rock, measuring 120 feet in circumference and 30 feet in height, bears the paintings. While some have weathered away over centuries, those sheltered naturally have remained intact.
This marks the first discovery of prehistoric red ochre paintings in the district, though some petroglyphs were previously known.
The survey team, led by Chakravarthy, included senior researcher Shiva Tarak and local guides Reddappa and Raghavendra. Nearby, they identified a large underground chamber they said belongs to the Paleolithic-age (12,000 BCE or earlier). It is estimated to contain more than 300 burials. The site also showed signs of extensive iron deposits and large fragments of red and black pottery from the Stone Age, apart from stone tools, they said.
The team is now headed to survey villages in the neighbouring Bagepalli taluk.
The team under the aegis of the department of archaeology and the Karnataka Itihasa Academy documented 40 previously unknown prehistoric sites during the survey.
“Until now, only six prehistoric sites were recorded in Chintamani taluk. In these 40 new sites, we documented 97 varieties of prehistoric art, tools, burial sites, and artifacts during the survey. This also includes ash mounds and iron slags from the Iron Age. For the first time, we’ve discovered rock paintings in the entire Chikkaballapur district, which is significant,” said Pawan Mourya Chakravarthy, a research scholar involved in the discovery.
It was a chance encounter with a villager which led them to the rock paintings. “We were examining a historical-period inscription when a villager told us about another ‘inscription’ made with what he described as betel nut spittle. He led us to a rock near the Siddara Gavi caves. On a stone referred to locally as Sule Gundu or Lanja Banda (prostitute’s stone), we found prehistoric paintings depicting bulls, peacocks, elephants, wild boars, and human figures,” Chakravarthy explained.
What the villager thought was spittle turned out to be red ochre used by Stone Age artists.
On the age of these paintings, he said, “These date back to the Neolithic age which spanned from 10,000 BCE to around 2000 BCE. So these paintings could be 10,000 years old. Further analysis will give a more specific timeline.” The rock, measuring 120 feet in circumference and 30 feet in height, bears the paintings. While some have weathered away over centuries, those sheltered naturally have remained intact.
This marks the first discovery of prehistoric red ochre paintings in the district, though some petroglyphs were previously known.
The survey team, led by Chakravarthy, included senior researcher Shiva Tarak and local guides Reddappa and Raghavendra. Nearby, they identified a large underground chamber they said belongs to the Paleolithic-age (12,000 BCE or earlier). It is estimated to contain more than 300 burials. The site also showed signs of extensive iron deposits and large fragments of red and black pottery from the Stone Age, apart from stone tools, they said.
The team is now headed to survey villages in the neighbouring Bagepalli taluk.
