Indian rock art and its global context
... India contains a vast number of rock art sites, some of them are the earliest in date (Bednarik, 2004: 35) and some are world renowned also (Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Blinkhorn et al, 2012). India has a rich tradition in rock art study which started in the middle of the nineteenth century by the studies of Henwood, Carlleyle and Cockburn (Chakravarty, 1984: 12;Blinkhorn et al, 2012: 180) and continued later on up to the middle of the twentieth century by several workers like Anderson, P. Mitra, M. Ghosh, R. Allchin and B. Allchin, and S K Pandey (Chakravarty, 1984;Mathpal, 1984;Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Blinkhorn et al, 2012). ...
... India contains a vast number of rock art sites, some of them are the earliest in date (Bednarik, 2004: 35) and some are world renowned also (Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Blinkhorn et al, 2012). India has a rich tradition in rock art study which started in the middle of the nineteenth century by the studies of Henwood, Carlleyle and Cockburn (Chakravarty, 1984: 12;Blinkhorn et al, 2012: 180) and continued later on up to the middle of the twentieth century by several workers like Anderson, P. Mitra, M. Ghosh, R. Allchin and B. Allchin, and S K Pandey (Chakravarty, 1984;Mathpal, 1984;Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Blinkhorn et al, 2012). In the middle of the twentieth century Indian rock art research got a rapid impetus after the discovery of Bhimbetka rock art complex of central India by V. S. Wakankar. ...
... So, this presents a probability of having similar ritual behavior practices in all these sites in eastern India. Same observations are recorded in various cupule bearing rock art sites of central India also (Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Chakraverty, 2003). ...
... It is only with the advent of the glorious surviving rock painting traditions, especially in the central regions of India (the Bhopal region, Chambal valley, Mahadeo Hills, northern Vindhya Hills and southern Deccan are the major concentrations), that Indian rock art comes into its own (Chakravarty 1984;Brooks and Wakankar 1976;Gupta 1980;Mathpal 1985;Neumayer 1983Neumayer , 1993Sankalia 1978;Tewari 1990;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). By that time, however, quite distinctive styles had been developed, and the more recent the art is, the more it becomes irrelevant to attempt simplistic comparisons with art traditions elsewhere. ...
... The study of Indian rock art began in the 1860s, with Archibald Carllyle's explorations in the northern Vindhya Ranges, in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh (Carllyle 1885), followed by the research there of Cockburn in the late 1800s (Cockburn 1883(Cockburn , 1888(Cockburn , 1894. Actually, the earliest reference we seem to have relates to petroglyphs at Almora and dates from 1856 (Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). Much earlier, the Chinese geographer Li Daoyuan (fifth century A.D.) published detailed descriptions of Chinese rock art in his book Shui Jing Zhu (which means Notes on the systems of rivers), mentioning also the existence of rock art in regions that are now part of India and Pakistan. ...
... As already noted, he had edited an influential rock art book in 1984, and had continued his support for rock art studies over the years. Ten years later he staged an impressive rock art exhibition at the World Archaeological Congress in New Delhi, and subsequently published a major book on the place of Indian rock art in world rock art (Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). He has also facilitated the creation of colour reconstitution in rock art recording through the IFRAO Standard Scale (Bednarik and Seshadri 1995). ...
... The history of cave paintings in India ranges from the upper Palaeolithic to the early historic period. There are more than 10,000 locations in the country where these cave paintings can be found 1 . The remnants of rock shelter arts are found on sandstone or sedimentary rocks of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh 2 . ...
... An effective and efficient strategy must be used for the heritage paintings of India in view of their chemical composition and long-term preservation; otherwise they will permanently fade. 1 ...
The history of cave paintings in India ranges from the upper Palaeolithic to the early his�toric period. There are more than 10,000 locations in the country where these cave
paintings can be found. The remnants of rock shelter arts are found on sandstone or
sedimentary rocks of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In North India, many rock
engravings are in the upper reaches of the Karakoram Hills and Zanskar Valley. Several rock paintings are reported in Varanasi, Prayagraj and Agra, Uttar Pradesh. In
Eastern India, Odisha has the richest repository of rock arts. The Bhimbetka group
of rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh is one of the most famous rock arts of the country
and is a World Heritage Site. The scenes reflected in these paintings usually depict
hunting and dancing humans, and fighting animals like antelopes, bisons, lions and
tigers. Though archaeologists have extensively interpreted the cave arts,
systematic scientific studies are lacking on the use of paints and pigments in these en�gravings. These painted figures were found to be done in monochrome, mostly in red
and white, or sometimes a combination of different colours. Even though the paints
are durable, efforts must be undertaken to preserve them from fading as they are directly exposed to rainfall, sunlight and various anthropological activities from time immemorial.
... A further scrutiny of Indian rock art literature 174021, India. (Bednarik, 2013;Neumayer, 2013;2010;Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;bradshawfoundation) reveals that such objects have not been reported from India so far. ...
... It is so thin and could have been dest for some time, but as the luck would have been we discovered it in the buried in situ context (Figure 1c). It was found buried in the brown concretionary clay deposit of the Upper Pleistocene Baneta Formation which overlies the ho bearing Middle Pleistocene Surajkund Formation (Tiwari and Bhai, 1997 Neumayer, 2013;Chakravarty and Badam, 2010;Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997;Chakraverty, S, 2015; ) reveals that such objects have not been ...
... Rock art refers to the "paintings (pictographs) and the engravings (petroglyphs) done on the walls of rock shelters, open boulders and rock formations. The 'additive process' makes pictographs wherein wet paint or a dry pigment is added to the rock surface to depict motifs or figures and the 'reductive process' creates petroglyphs, where the desired motifs are fashioned out by removing particles from the rock surface by hammering, chiselling, engraving or etching" Chakravarty & Bednarik (1997). Rock art is the "earliest form of human visual expression. ...
This paper presents the findings from a preliminary exploration and documentation of the rock shelters located at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The exploration led to the documentation of three rock shelters painted with Mesolithic-period paintings. Despite significant neglect and natural degradation, including fading due to sun exposure, the remaining artworks offer invaluable insights into the socio-economic and cultural aspects of prehistoric man. Mesolithic tools discovered on the surface further corroborate the historical significance of the site and help in the relative dating of the paintings and also help in understanding site utilization. The paper also brings to light the immediate need for preservation and conservation of the paintings.
... The people who painted the paintings, hunted, gathered food, and processed food in rock shelters as evidence of habitation has been discovered in the form of charcoal, ash, pottery, human skeletal remains, and microliths. The paintings are a visual manifestation of the primitive people's creative urges, and they depict various aspects of their way of life (Bednarik, 1993;Brown, 1960;Chakravarty & Bednarik, 1997;Ghosh, 1932;Sonawane, 2002;Wakankar, 1973). ...
... The people who painted the paintings, hunted, gathered food, and processed food in rock shelters as evidence of habitation has been discovered in the form of charcoal, ash, pottery, human skeletal remains, and microliths. The paintings are a visual manifestation of the primitive people's creative urges, and they depict various aspects of their way of life (Bednarik, 1993;Brown, 1960;Chakravarty & Bednarik, 1997;Ghosh, 1932;Sonawane, 2002;Wakankar, 1973). ...
Rock painting spans thousands of years of creative efforts and is as diverse as India's cultural practices, literature, and tradition. In India, there are over 1000 rock shelter sites with paintings. Amateurs discovered the majority of these sites. Archibald Carlleyle (1897), a British archaeologist, made the first systematic documentation in the mid-nineteenth century. Since the discovery in 1958 of a large collection of rock paintings found by Wakanakar at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, extensive research projects have been devised speculating on local and regional chronologies and styles. This paper provides a brief overview of Indian rock paintings, assisting readers in comprehending the history and distribution of rock paintings in different regions of India and its painting techniques and materials, pigments and binders, cause of deterioration, and management and conservation.
... Other than the regions of south-western Europe, Russia, North Africa and Australia; India is a major region of rock art in the global context and the country is placed as the biggest centre for rock art in Asia. Indian rock art sites are known for their uniqueness and for its comprehensive communication (Brooks and Wakankar 1976;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). In magnitude, vividness, and richness this art form offers substantial source material for our study and perhaps 'the only consistent record left of the developing human mind' (Bednarik 2002). ...
The occurrence of human and animal figures displaying various kinds of day-today activities like hunting, gathering, pastoral lifestyle etc., are pictographs or petroglyphs or geoglyphs on the rock surface. Such examples of rock art provide visual representation of a particular place, particular time, and the authors responsible. Rock art plays a vital role in the study of human beliefs and practices, especially of prehistoric cultures. Rock art continued during historic times and is practiced even today by a few communities. It is widely known that rock art was one of the mediums to communicate and represent an understanding of the surroundings; it also reflects ritualistic beliefs and ideas of the past populations. Therefore, rock art is an indispensable source of information in our understanding of some aspects of prehistoric life that is usually not known from other kinds of prehistoric material evidence.
... Other than the regions of south-western Europe, Russia, North Africa and Australia; India is a major region of rock art in the global context and the country is placed as the biggest centre for rock art in Asia. Indian rock art sites are known for their uniqueness and for its comprehensive communication (Brooks and Wakankar 1976;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). In magnitude, vividness, and richness this art form offers substantial source material for our study and perhaps 'the only consistent record left of the developing human mind' (Bednarik 2002). ...
The volume predominantly focuses on various cultural and environmental aspects of the Lower Palaeolithic Acheulian tradition in India, particularly in the peninsular region; however, a few papers are dedicated to the pursuit of other features of Indian prehistory in a broader sense. Cultural typology and technology, adaptive and behavioural strategies, palaeoenvironment, geomorphology and chronology, site distribution and formation processes are a few of the many varied themes that have been addressed along with some, albeit cursory allusions to the cognitive aspects of archaeology.
‘Adaptations Across Antiquity’ is also rendered unique in so far as the voice of experience lent by stalwarts in the field sets the stage or the backdrop for fresh, dynamic and youthful perspectives to take shape. This complimentary approach has been applied to wide geographic areas and distinct ecozones of India including but not limited to sites in the Deccan Trap Region of Upland Maharashtra, the Kaladgi Basin in South India, the greater Narmada Basin in Central India, the Konkan region on the West Coast among others (Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand). The resulting discourse provides either an overview; scope for re-appraisal; or even brings into focus new sites and data from these regions that were previously overlooked. In addition, a paper on the Jomon pottery from Japan by (Late) Shrikant Atre has been posthumously featured in this publication. It is therefore intended that this volume serve in posterity as a singular source of recent work in prehistoric and quaternary studies conducted in these regions.
... Absence of fish at Usgalimal and its presence at Cabo has been taken to suggest a change in foraging hunting practices. 5 At Lakhudyar in district Almora, in Uttarakhand, the paintings, engravings and carved boulders are identified by local people as fingerprints, baking plates, discs and ladles of Bhimsen or as game boards of the Pandavas, The monoliths in Kumaun hills are called Brikham or herostones, and dancing figures in Kumaun rock art are identified as contemporary Jhora dancers in Bagwal mortar pounding festivals 6 . It is possible to link the folk narratives of sheep-goat herding Kuruvas or cattle herding Gollas of southern Deccan and northern Karnataka with Neolithic and iron age sites close by. ...
... This was followed by the discovery of the first Stone Age paintings (pictographs) at Sohagi Ghat in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, by Archibald Carlleyle in 1867-68, but reported much later by V. A. Smith in 1906 (ref. 1). Rock art in the form of petroglyphs and pictographs was subsequently reported from several places across India. ...
India has one of the largest concentrations of rock-art sites. However, these rock shelters have deteriorated due to natural agencies. The present study was carried out in one such site in Central India, which is hosted by argillaceous and ferruginous sandstones, showing prominent chemical, biological and mechanical weathering. The results based on field investigations, petrography, XRD, FE-SEM-EDS, and FTIR measurements have indicated that chemical weathering is caused due to infiltration of hydrothermal fluids through innumerable zones of weaknesses formed due to neotectonic activities in the Satpura Lineament Zone, especially along Gawilgarh and Salbardi Faults in this region.
... Absence of fish at Usgalimal and its presence at Cabo has been taken to suggest a change in foraging hunting practices. 5 At Lakhudyar in district Almora, in Uttarakhand, the paintings, engravings and carved boulders are identified by local people as fingerprints, baking plates, discs and ladles of Bhimsen or as game boards of the Pandavas, The monoliths in Kumaun hills are called Brikham or herostones, and dancing figures in Kumaun rock art are identified as contemporary Jhora dancers in Bagwal mortar pounding festivals 6 . It is possible to link the folk narratives of sheep-goat herding Kuruvas or cattle herding Gollas of southern Deccan and northern Karnataka with Neolithic and iron age sites close by. ...
... Only in Central India do we find such concentrations of rock art that portray these rich depictions of women in various modes of daily lives that comprise a bigger picture for womenfolk. In-depth research ( Banerjee and Srivastava 2014;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997) in many different parts of Central India suggests that chronologically the paintings belong to the Early Historic period which sometimes stretches back to the Chalcolithic period but definitely not before. ...
... Clottes (2011,(17)(18)(19)(20) discussed the relevance of attributing specific meaning to ancient human symbolic production in light of an on-going debate amongst archaeologists. For some, such as Lorblanchet (1988,282), Chakravarty andBednarik (1997, 195-196), andBahn (1998, 171), interpreting art is beyond the mandate of prehistoric archaeology, which should restrict itself to developing knowledge about a limited number of structures, based upon empirical observations. Authors such as Malinowski (1944, 13 , 16), Bednarik (1994), andGould (1998, 72) observed that unbiased observation was more a myth than a reality, as criteria determining what to observe (the "proper" objects) and the method and instruments of observation must necessarily stem from a theory. ...
This paper explores how and why ancient Indigenous societies, exchanged information. The emergence of symbolic productions or early languages is explored through scholarly work provided by archaeologists and anthropologists, as well as others such as paleobiologists and paleogeologists. Ancient communication forms are described with respect to the following dimensions: the media used, the motifs, designs and colors depicted, location, diffusion through time and space, and some specific social uses. Information about birthing, habitat, orientation, transportation, hunting and life skills, and religious/cosmological beliefs is also included.
... The representation of 'agile' game such as antelope and deer – and, in particular instances, of the boar (Mathpal, 1984) – is often associated with Indian Mesolithic rock-art sites (Chandramouli, 1991: 75), but it remains highly problematic to 'straitjacket' such iconography into a Mesolithic chronology (Chakravarty and Bednarik, 1997: 65) solely based on the association between microlithic deposits and images of wild game. Murty (1981: 51) points out that big game like ox or buffalo were found in Mesolithic contexts from Kurnool cave fauna. ...
... The rock art of India ( Fig. 1) is undoubtedly of global significance as many researchers have noted (e.g. Allchin and Allchin, 1994-95;Bednarik and Chakravarty, 1997;Blinkhorn, 2012;Boivin, 2004;Chakravarty, 1984;Chakraverty, 2003;Chandramouli, 2002;Ghosh, 1998;Mathpal, 1984Mathpal, , 1998Neumayer, 1992Neumayer, , 1993Pandey, 1992;Pradhan, 2001;, especially with the rock art of the Bhimbetka area a UNESCO world heritage site, but it has not been well dated nor integrated with the excavated archaeological record . In 2008 and 2009, as part of an extensive and continuing archaeological investigation of the Kurnool area of southern India, we sampled two sites to obtain minimum ages of what are considered to be the oldest surviving forms of rock art in the area. ...
... Examples of accessible representational imagery is found in abundance in the rock-art of the Indian subcontinent (see Brooks and Wakankar 1976;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997;Neumayer 1983;1993;Tiwari 2000), notably in Southern India Allchin 1994-1995;Boivin 2004a;Chandramouli 1991Chandramouli , 2002Reddy 1971). Previous researches Allchin 1994-1995;Boivin 2004a) have pointed out the predominance of cattle and other representational elements in the petroglyphs of the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area, found in the Bellary district within the state of Karnataka. ...
Rock-art reflects cultural narratives and is influential as a medium in the invention of narratives. Images found in South-Central Indian rock-art are particularly useful in considering archaeological transitions. Rock-art here shows a chronology spanning the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Megalithic, Historic, and Modern times. Imagery reflects changing human/animal relationships, from `agile' hunted animals to cattle and its domestication, with rock-art an active medium in the creation of new metanarratives focused obsessively upon bulls. While bulls in the singular appear early, later compositional elements imply a growing concern with ideas of herds as interconnecting communities. Through time, panels were focal points for the addition of subsequent anthropomorphic imagery, further reinventing the Neolithic. A Historic period efflorescence of densely applied rock-art perhaps reflects an appropriation of a locality redolent with the past as new mythologies were invented in the ancestral association with the now millennia-old Neolithic rock-art.
... Most contemporary researchers have great doubts that any Indian rock paintings are of Pleistocene age (e.g. Misra 1977;Neumayer 1983Neumayer , 1993Bednarik 1993b;Chakravarty and Bednarik 1997). Until 1990, petroglyphs were only known from the north and south of the country. ...
A comprehensive review of evidence of very early palaeoart covering all continents reveals significant misconceptions in the dominant models of 'art' origins. The traditional preoccupation with predominantly zoomorphic, figurative traditions of south-western Europe is examined, as well as the closely related concept of an endemic cave art of the Upper Palaeolithic period. The existence of much earlier non-utilitarian traditions is demonstrated, including bead making and pigment use in the Lower Palaeolithic, and the widespread uniformity of Middle Palaeolithic palaeoart traditions is noted. The review of this global Pleistocene evidence suggests that the oldest and symbolically most sophisticated palaeoart is that of Asia rather than Europe.
... These include scenes of childbirth , hunting, dancing, music, and animals like bison, tigers, elephants, wild boars, antelopes, dogs, birds, and lizards. Ketavaram Caves near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh and Edakkal Caves in Kerala in South India date to around 8,000 years ago and contain paintings that depict the lifestyle of pre-historic man (Chakravarthy and Bednarik, 1997 ). The scenes of hunting also show vital anatomical spots on the animals by which the hunter could mortally wound the quarry. ...
Safe clinical practice is based on a sound knowledge of the structure and function of the human body. Thus, knowledge of anatomy has been an essential tool in the practice of healthcare throughout the ages. The history of anatomy in India traces from the Paleolithic Age to the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic Times, the Islamic Dynasties, the modern Colonial Period, and finally to Independent India. The course of the study of anatomy, despite accompanying controversies and periods of latencies, has been fascinating. This review takes the reader through various periods of Indian medicine and the role of anatomy in the field of medical practice. It also provides a peek into the modern system of pedagogy in anatomical sciences in India. Anat Sci Educ. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.
... India has a vast amount of rock art of global significance (Bednarik & Chakravarty 1997), consisting mainly of paintings and petroglyphs. Initial investigations began in the late 1800s (e.g. ...
The authors have surveyed the little known paintings of the Kurnool area in central south India, bringing to light the varied work of artists active from the Palaeolithic to the present day. By classifying the images and observing their local superposition and global parallels, they present us with an evolving trend – from the realistic drawings of large deer by hunter-gatherers, through the symbolic humans of the Iron Age to the hand-prints of more recent pilgrims and garish life-size modern 'scarecrows'. Here are the foundations for one of the world's longest sequences of rock art. Yes Yes
This paper discusses a recent discovery of rock art in a survey conducted during 2018-2019 in the Arkavathi Valley at the Iron Age site of Bhantara Kuppe Reserve Forest (BKP-RF) near Doddipalya village. The Iron Age sites in the BKP-RF have burial assemblages in five different localities, including evidence of iron production. The site BKP-RF carries a few rock paintings of interest, which reflect economic aspects and record ecological interests of the subsistence of early communities. Faunal themes of catfish and partially faded representations of fowls/ducks are quite evident. The depiction of non-human organisms in rock art and design with some symbols which are like conch-scripts (shankhalipi) and its significance in understanding subsistence patterns, symbolic patterns, and relationships with human and natural resources are discussed.
This research article examines how ethno-rock art research explains the scope, purpose, and significance of rock art in contemporary human culture. It can clarify the most opaque aspect of rock art, namely, its purpose. The research article gave a summary of the study’s ‘theory of ethno-rock art’. To support the viewpoint of a work on the aforementioned concerns, the ‘Structure of Ethno-rock Art’ is constructed with the goal of creating the simplest approach of comprehending the nature and scope of rock art. Though the major focus of this research work is on the theory of ethno-rock art and the structure of ethno-rock art, the author also mentioned the following to support the above viewpoint:rock art and ethno-rock art study: paradigm shift, foundation of ethno-rock art study, universal value of rock art study, methodological shift, transformation of human settlement: need of time and living memory about nomenclature. The findings also demonstrated that rock art professionals can use the same application method to get more accurate rock art study results. However, existing experts are few in contrast to other disciplines of archaeology and excellent in their field of specialisation, but I believe that all work is on the verge of success until and unless the explaining the purpose of rock art.From a safety standpoint, this study stresses the importance of considering the impact of this study approach with the help of specialists from various backgrounds. This could open up new possibilities for this project in the future.
Pigment-bearing Middle Eocene ostreid bivalve Flamingostrea sp. Vredenburg from Harudi area of western Kutch is reported here for the first time. Various shades of red colour in the bivalve specimens indicate preservation of melanin. These coloured bivalves of more than 40 MY antiquity are objects of great visual delight and holds the key towards unraveling the palaeo-depositional condition in general and the preservation window for the organic pigment in particular.
Rock Art consisting of paintings and engravings in caverns, rocks, boulders is one of the earliest human visual expressions. Humans' response mostly conditions it to a changing environment. Most of these aesthetic works are reflections of the effects of locality and cultural contexts in their creations. For time immemorial, such creative works of human origin have been controlled by his feelings of visual space reflecting how man perceived the world. India is positioned as an important place in rock art researches in the World. The rock art study was officially started in 1867. After that, several scholars have contributed effectively to finding and interpreting the rock arts from different parts of India. Central-eastern India in general and Jharkhand, in particular, is well known for its archaeological heritage. In this state, rock art is found in different locales. This state has a history that depicts human activities of varied nature. This covers an extended range of time extending from the Mesolithic period to historical times. The area of Jharkhand is covered by a good number of the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste communities that have a rich heritage of wall art. They decorate their house walls for different occasions. It has been observed that few of their painted motifs are similar to rock art. It is also interesting to observe that they use natural colors for their paintings, like the ancient people who were the custodian of the rock art of this area. The present paper is based on the empirical study at Hazaribagh and Chatra districts of Jharkhand. The authors have tried to understand the rock art of this area and its living tradition in present-day wall art by the ethnic communities of the same place. The paper also attempts to determine how far back we could trace cultural roots and whether there is counting in the cultural tradition between past and present. The supportive ethnographic data to understand the rock art assemblage was largely unavailable. Due to this reason, the present study concentrates upon the arrangement, composition, and context of rock art to find out the inter relations between ancient rock art and present-day wall art.
Rock Art consisting of paintings and engravings in caverns, rocks, boulders is one of the earliest human visual expressions. Humans' response mostly conditions it to a changing environment. Most of these aesthetic works are reflections of the effects of locality and cultural contexts in their creations. For time immemorial, such creative works of human origin have been controlled by his feelings of visual space reflecting how man perceived the world. India is positioned as an important place in rock art researches in the World. The rock art study was officially started in 1867. After that, several scholars have contributed effectively to finding and interpreting the rock arts from different parts of India. Central-eastern India in general and Jharkhand, in particular, is well known for its archaeological heritage. In this state, rock art is found in different locales. This state has a history that depicts human activities of varied nature. This covers an extended range of time extending from the Mesolithic period to historical times. The area of Jharkhand is covered by a good number of the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste communities that have a rich heritage of wall art. They decorate their house walls for different occasions. It has been observed that few of their painted motifs are similar to rock art. It is also interesting to observe that they use natural colors for their paintings, like the ancient people who were the custodian of the rock art of this area. The present paper is based on the empirical study at Hazaribagh and Chatra districts of Jharkhand. The authors have tried to understand the rock art of this area and its living tradition in present-day wall art by the ethnic communities of the same place. The paper also attempts to determine how far back we could trace cultural roots and whether there is counting in the cultural tradition between past and present. The supportive ethnographic data to understand the rock art assemblage was largely unavailable. Due to this reason, the present study concentrates upon the arrangement, composition, and context of rock art to find out the inter relations between ancient rock art and present-day wall art.
In this broad overview the corpus of world rock art is defined and compared with the known distribution of Pleistocene rock art. The discrepancies are related to relative research efforts, to the taphonomy of rock art, and to issues relating to the age estimation of rock art. As each of these factors is examined, it becomes apparent that there have been significant distortions in the ways Pleistocene rock art has been characterised and defined. Most particularly, the taphonomic distortions remain inadequately understood and their effects are identified and explained. The first qualified attempt to quantify the world's surviving rock art was undertaken by Anati (1984), who arrived at the estimate that the existence of over 20 million motifs has been demonstrated worldwide, and that a grand total of 'well over 50 million' rock art figures can safely be postulated (Fig.
Ancient Indigenous Communication: An Exploratory Multidisciplinary Model
JEAN-CHARLES CACHON, Laurentian University of Sudbury, Canada
Abstract: This paper explores how and why ancient Indigenous societies, exchanged information. The emergence of symbolic productions or early languages is explored through scholarly work provided by archaeologists and anthropologists, as well as others such as paleobiologists and paleogeologists. Ancient communication forms are described with respect to the following dimensions: the media used, the motifs, designs and colors depicted, location, diffusion through time and space, and some specific social uses. Information about birthing, habitat, orientation, transportation, hunting and life skills, and religious/cosmological beliefs is also included.
Cachon, Jean-Charles. 2015. Ancient Indigenous Communication: An Exploratory Multidisciplinary Model. International Journal of Diverse Identities, 15, 2, 1-33. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7866/CGP/v15i02/40019
Rock Art Studies in IndiaDistribution of SitesProblematizing Indian Rock Art ResearchCase Studies from Southern IndiaConclusions
References
The rock art of Kupgal, south India, represents an archive of images amassed over five millennia. The author works out a first sequence and shows how the Neolithic petroglyph site may have functioned in its landscape - as a ritual locality at which not only images but sound, performance and social relationships were all prominent.
There is a knowledge deficit about Al Ardha dance movements in Gulf Arab culture, and the dance form is not yet analytically documented. This paper is the first attempt to explain and isolate some of the thought processes related to this indigenous festive activity in the Arabian Peninsula. The study conceptualizes the dance in a manner conducive to its transfer to a digital learning environment designed for user interaction. Aimed at developing a motion detection-based kinesthetic learning system, this study also tries to identify the motor and cognitive skills related to the Al Ardha dance. The anticipated system can provide tremendous opportunities for users to learn the dance-related harmonious movements without the help of a live instructor. The study can also help identify and isolate some of the predominant movements of this dance to investigate its analytical paradigm.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.