Prehistoric Art

Pre-Historic Time 1mLesson 3 · Unit 1

Rock Art of India

Prehistoric people painted on the walls and ceilings of rock shelters. These paintings are among the earliest records of human imagination in India.

Important Sites

Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) — over 700 shelters with paintings of hunting, dancing and animals.
Jogimara (Chhattisgarh) and Lakhudiyar (Uttarakhand) — scenes of humans and animals.
Edakkal caves (Kerala) — engravings of human figures and symbols.

Colours and Themes

Artists used natural colours made from minerals — red from haematite, white from limestone and green from a stone called chalcedony. Common themes were hunting scenes, group dances, animals and handprints.