Hyderabad: A series of Stone Age rock paintings, including rare human-like figures, has been discovered in the forests of Mulugu district, offering fresh evidence that the region was inhabited by early humans. The latest discovery, made on hillocks in the Bandlapahad forest area, adds to Mulugu’s long-known archaeological significance and points to a widespread prehistoric human presence in what is now Telangana.“The hillocks of Telangana continue to reveal new historical treasures the more they are explored. The region offers evidence spanning from prehistoric times to the modern era,” said Dr M.A. Srinivasan, historian and assistant professor at Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University.
The paintings were documented during a recent exploration by local youths and members of the Public Research Institute for History, Archaeology and Heritage (PRIHAH), Gaddam Kranthi Kumar and Tati Sambasiva Rao Dora, under the guidance of Srinivasan.The newly discovered site is about 30 km from Mulugu town. The hillocks, locally known as Moddu Gutta, Darvajala Gutta and Nemali Gutta, have yielded fresh evidence of Stone Age life in Telangana.According to Srinivasan, the rock shelters contain paintings of anthropomorphic (human-like) figures, along with animals such as deer, bulls, tortoises, foxes and wild buffaloes, besides geometric lines and designs. Most of the paintings are in red, while some are in white.“Natural weathering has made some figures difficult to identify. Based on their style and subject matter, the paintings can be dated to the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic periods, spanning roughly 10,000 to 1,000 years ago,” he said.Among the most striking finds are two large anthropomorphic figures at Moddu Gutta. Decorated in red and white, they feature elaborate adornments on the head and body. One figure stands upright with designs covering its entire body, while the other is depicted horizontally with distinctive ornamentation around the head and neck.The paintings also display a superimposition effect, indicating that newer images were painted over older ones. While similar human figures have been reported at Bommala Loddi near Tadvai, Srinivasan said those at Moddu Gutta are more artistic and intricately decorated.Another significant feature of Moddu Gutta is a cave located midway up the hillock. Measuring about four metres wide, five metres high and 15 metres long, the cave is now inhabited by bats. Cup marks and Neolithic grooves on nearby rocks suggest the area around the cave once served as a human settlement during the Neolithic period.
