Hyderabad: Ancient rock art spanning the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Historical periods was identified at a painted rock shelter inside a cave on a hillock near Turakalpalli village in Charagonda mandal of Nagarkurnool district, in a find made by members of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam.The site was discovered by Yadeshwar Dantekar and Kalagoni Kiran Kumar Goud of the group. After examining the paintings, rock art expert and adviser to the group Bandi Muralidhar Reddy said the images, executed in red, white and black, belong to different phases ranging from the Mesolithic to the Historical period.Across three periodsAccording to the team, the red paintings have been attributed to the Mesolithic period and include a large unidentified animal, a small reptile-like figure, crossing lines, long horn-like or bone-like shapes, faded triangles, indistinct linear designs and a possible human figure. Some of the red markings also show superimposition, indicating that one drawing was painted over another.The white paintings have been identified as belonging to the Neolithic period. These include a humped bull with horns, hump-less cattle with horns and a decorative circle with 10 spokes resembling a wheel or sun motif. In some places, the white paintings appear over black drawings, suggesting that they were made later.The black paintings, classified as belonging to the Historical period, include circles, a double-lined rectangle with an “X” mark inside, a semi-circular decorative motif with eight lines and dots, simple animal figures, multi-legged animals with long necks and tails, human figures holding swords, a rider on a four-legged horse-like animal carrying a sword, a faint elephant-like image and indistinct figures shown in a lying position with a weapon-bearing human figure standing over them.Reflect lifestyle, cultureThe team also noted the presence of deep grooves on the rock surface, which they said were used to sharpen Neolithic stone tools. The presence of paintings from different periods at a single shelter suggests that the site was used repeatedly by people across eras. The discovery points to continued human use of the cave shelter over a long span of time, with each phase leaving behind visual traces of life, animals, movement and conflict. The paintings, the team said, reflect changing cultural expressions while preserving continuity in the use of the site as a shelter.The field exploration was carried out by Kalagoni Kiran Kumar Goud, Yadeshwar Dantekar and other members of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam. Sreeramoju Haragopal, convener of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, said, “Finding rock art from different periods in one place shows that people from various eras lived here and painted scenes reflecting their lifestyle and culture. These images are historical records.“
