Prehistory refers to the era before paper, language, or the written word existed.
Scholars piece together knowledge of prehistoric life through excavation sites containing old tools, pottery, habitats, bones, and cave drawings.
Cave walls served as canvases for early humans to express themselves through painting and drawing, fulfilling a need beyond basic survival.
Bhimbetka Rock Art Sites
Bhimbetka rock art sites are located approximately 45 kilometers southeast of Bhopal.
Discovered by V.S. Wakankar starting in 1957.
Located in the Vindhyan range of central India, stretching about 10 kilometers by 2 kilometers.
Features over 500 painted sandstone shelters across seven hills, within a forest environment.
The environment is threatened by population increase.
Some shelters contain only a few images, while others contain hundreds.
Added to the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 2003.
About fifteen of the most visually impressive sites have been fitted with passageways and protections for public viewing.
Guards are present to provide information and enforce regulations.
Succession for the Art (Mathpal 1998)
Prehistoric Depicting the Life and Environment of Hunter-Gatherers
Phase 1
Large size animals (buffaloes, elephants, wild bovids and big cats), outlined and partially infilled with geometric and maze patterns; no humans.
Phase 2
Diminutive figures of animals and humans, full of life and naturalistic. Hunters mostly in groups. Deer are dominant. Colours are red, white and emerald green (the latter with humans in S-shaped bodies, dancing) (Photos 81, 82).
Phase 3
Large size animals with vertical strips and humans.
Phase 4
Schematic and simplified figures.
Phase 5
Decorative. “Large-horned animals” drawn “in fine thin lines with body decoration in honey-comb, zigzag and concentric square pattern” (Mathpal 1998: 11).
Transitional Beginning of Agricultural Life
Phase 6
Quite different from the previous ones. Conventional and schematic. Body of animals in a rectangle with stiff legs. Humps on bovines, sometimes horns adorned at the tip. Chariots and carts with yoked oxen.
Historic
Phase 7
Riders on horses and elephants. Group dancers. Thick white and red. "Decline in artistic merit" (Mathpal 1998: 11).
Phase 8
"Bands of marching and facing soldiers, their chiefs riding elephants and horses (…), equipped with long spears, swords, bows and arrows" (id.). Rectangular shields, a little curved. Horses elaborately decorated and caparisoned. "White infilling and red outlining" (id.) (Photos 27 to 33, 88, 89).
Phase 9
"Geometric human figures, designs, known religious symbols and inscriptions" (id.).
Human and Animal Representation in Rock Art
Mathpal's study of 817 human figures identified 779 as men (95.5), 16 as children, and 21 as women.
Of 428 animal figures, horses are dominant (185, 43.2), followed by deer (39, 9), and bovids (37, 9).
Other animals include dogs, tigers, buffaloes, panthers, and monkeys, but are much rarer.