Date:26/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/26/stories/2008042650980200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Pre-historic cave paintings found

Special Correspondent

Cave art includes animals, geometric designs, hunting and dancing scenes

Heritage: Pre-historic paintings using vegetable oils traced in caves near Srisailam and Warangal.

HYDERABAD: Pre-historic paintings using vegetable oils were traced last month on rocks within caves in the forest near Srisailam and interior Warangal district.

They were detected by the technical staff of Archaeology Department following information by a saint and some other local tribals, Archaeology Director P. Chenna Reddy told a news conference here on Thursday.

He said the paintings included animals, fish, some geometrical designs and scenes of hunting and dancing. They were in red ochre and white pigment colours. The paintings in Akkamahadevi caves of Srisailam hill ranges were ascribed to late Mesolithic times of 3,000 BC. The other paintings on rock shelters at Narsapur and Bandal of Tadvai mandal in Warangal district were dated to megalithic times of 1,000 BC. Some of the paintings were superimposed, depicting highly developed anatomical features and curves.

The features were of early historic times. Mr. Reddy said further survey was required in these areas for more information on rock art sites and rock shelters. The department planned to videograph the rock art and preserve it for posterity.

He also said a priceless stone sculpted with Parswanatha, Mahishasuramardani and Brahma with his consort Saraswati seated on a swan was also recovered in Warangal district recently. A Buddhist settlement was found in Peddauppalam village of Rayavaram mandal in Visakhapatnam district.

The director said the ancient temple complex at Mulug Ghanpur in Warangal district, including a 60-pillar ‘natya mandap’, would be reconstructed, conserved and renovated as part of the Kakatiya Heritage Project for which the State government has released Rs. 10 crore. The department would seek security to exhibit on a permanent basis 18,000 gold, 80,000 silver and two lakh copper coins at the State Museum here. They were part of the treasure troves of Roman, Gupta, Vizianagaram, Kakatiya, Chalukya and Mughal empires.