Medieval rock art site discovered in Mahabubnagar
Mahabubnagar
district.
The red pigment paintings, found by Kavali Chandrakanth, a member of the Kotha Telanganacharitrabrundam, show a sequence that includes a human figure at the bottom, a square turtle figure above and vertical ladder-like lines near a chariot-shaped structure when viewed from bottom to top.
According to Bandi Muralidhar Reddy and Sriramoju Haragopal, fellow researchers from the same historical group, these paintings belong to the historical period, specifically the Middle Ages.
The markings, in which one figure appears to be embedded in another, suggests that the site may once have served as a sacred space for a local community.
Signs of early settlements near rock art
Alongside the painted rocks, remnants of
ancient human habitation
have been observed nearby, including burial traces and early settlements.
Chandrakanth notes that further exploration could lead to significant insights into prehistoric human activity in the region.
Telangana is home to over a hundred rock art sites, many dating back to the Mesolithic period. Often created using natural dyes mixed with tree resins and animal fats, these artworks depict daily life — hunting, dancing and ritual scenes — on rock outcrops, cave ceilings and shelters. Unlike painted works, bruisings were carved with stone tools.
Notable sites in areas such as Pandavulagutta have even revealed 'x-ray' style paintings depicting internal organs, a rare artistic expression in
prehistoric rock art
. The newly discovered Jeenugarala site now adds another piece to Telangana's growing archive of ancient visual culture.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
30-06-2025
- The Print
Early Harappan burial discovery is changing how we understand Gujarat's past
Gujarat's archaeological record shows that its history is long and non-linear. In this land, occupying the northeastern corner of western India, hunter-gatherers co-existed with agro-pastoralists and early copper users long before the rise and fall of Harappan culture. Against this background, the recent excavation at Lakhapar is significant not merely for the age of the findings, but for the evidence it offers about life, landscape, and cultural evolution. The truth is that the chronology of Gujarat's ancient past is not a recent revelation. It is well-established in academia that prior to the rise of Harappan port towns and cities, indigenous societies had adapted to their environments and established their own cultural milieu. In the last month, much of the media coverage around archaeological research in Gujarat has focused on dates. Various reports have announced the unearthing of 5,300–5,000-year-old settlements in Kutch by the University of Kerala. The emphasis, however, has been on the numbers rather than the archaeological depth of the research. In this flurry of numbers, we have ignored the actual significance of these excavations and the decades of scholarship and fieldwork they are built upon. These are not mere discoveries that revise timelines but ones that deepen our understanding. That is what deserves our attention. The real insight lies not in the numbers, but in the evidence brought to light by archaeologists. Also read: Hunter-gatherers of Gujarat shared timeline with Harappans. History isn't linear Gujarat's archaeological past Gujarat is a region where the Kathiawad (Saurashtra) peninsula resembles 'a caricatured head bending down the coastal plain, with its slender body supported by the Malwa plateau and Satpura Range.' This geographically diverse terrain has fostered a rich and complex archaeological landscape shaped by a long, complex trajectory of human occupation. Since prehistoric times, early humans have inhabited this region, as evidenced by research undertaken by many scholars. Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) imprints are marked by stone tools found along ancient rivers such as the Mahi and Sabarmati. As the region transitioned to the New Stone Age, sites like Langhnaj in north Gujarat offered a rare glimpse of Mesolithic foragers. Their geometric microlithic tools and evidence of hunting-gathering, combined with domestication and burial practices, signal a significant juncture in the adaptive history of western India. This gradual transition towards domestication and sedentary life, evident by the 4th millennium BCE at sites like Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra, Padri near Somnath, and Loteshwar in north Gujarat. These sites reveal the rise of early agro-pastoralism, onset of metal (copper) use, distinctive regional ceramics, and continued microlith use. Sites such as Loteshwar and Rangpur are especially significant for showing a continuous cultural sequence from the Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic period. By the 3rd millennium BCE, Gujarat saw the rise of urban Harappan centres, but with regional adaptations. Across Saurashtra and Kutch, the Sorath Harappan tradition was predominant. Sites like Lothal, Bagasra, and Dholavira developed as regional trade hubs specialising in crafts and maritime trade. Yet even as these urban centres rose, older lifeways persisted. Around 1900 BCE, when deurbanisation started, Gujarat saw the rise of regional centres and Late Harappan sites. Such layered, nuanced history of continuity and change reveals a landscape of non-linear progression and co-existence. It requires us to look beyond mere dates. This is where the excavation at Lakhapar matters — it highlights not just the stratigraphy but adds a previously unexcavated layer to the archaeological landscape of Gujarat's early history. Also read: India's archaeological site museums need major makeover. Vadnagar must set an example Excavation at Lakhapar The archaeological site at Lakhapar village in Kutch was identified in 2022 with the help of Narayanbhai Jajani, former sarpanch of Lakhapar, and later excavated by Abhayan GS and Rajesh SV of the Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala. The site was identified as Early Harappan (c. 3300-2600 BCE), and the excavation builds upon earlier work at the nearby Early Harappan cemetery at Juna Khatiya, excavated in 2019, 2020, and 2022 by the same team. The Juna Khatiya excavation yielded around 197 burials. When combined with the findings at Lakhapar, they reinforce the idea of a broader network of interconnected Early Harappan settlements in this region. Excavators unearthed large stone structures, a human burial, and a plethora of pottery and artefacts. These structures, built using local sandstone and shale, indicate organised construction and systematic planning. According to the archaeologists, the most significant discovery is the presence of pre-Prabhas pottery, named after the type-site Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra and also found at Datrana and Janan. This rare ceramic type, characterised by specific forms and fabrics, suggests interaction with regional Chalcolithic communities that co-existed in the region. The human burial at Lakhapar, found within the habitation area, also included a pre-Prabhas pottery assemblage. Abhayan and Rajesh noted a considerable difference between this burial and those at Juna Khatiya: it lacked burial architecture or surface markers and was placed directly into a pit. This makes it the first burial in Gujarat with pre-Prabhas, Chalcolithic pottery linked to an Early Harappan site. Furthermore, a large portion of the habitation layers closely resembles Early Harappan Sindh-type settlements, as also seen at Juna Khatiya. Such findings indicate cultural interactions, not only with co-existing early Chalcolithic groups, but also with Early Harappan cultures of Sindh, dated to around 3300 BCE, or roughly 5300 years ago. Also read: How Gujarat spread Buddhism—Devnimori dig gives us a mahastupa, inscribed casket, coins Cultural crossroads A few years ago, Ajit Prasad of MSU Baroda excavated another Early Harappan burial site at Dhaneti in Kutch. It revealed multiple burials with grave goods and pottery — an important find, as distinct Early Harappan cemeteries are rare. Most Harappan burial data comes from the Classical or Mature Harappan phase. Therefore, sites like Dhaneti offer great insight into this early period before the onset of urbanism. When Juna Khatiya and Lakhapar were being excavated, archaeologists expected to find similar antiquity. However, the evidence featuring an Early Harappan cemetery, habitation, and its cultural interaction with Chalcolithic groups was an even rarer find. What distinguishes them from other Early Harappan sites like Dhaneti is not the number of burials or their age, but their potential to reshape our understanding of how regional communities co-existed, interacted, and may have participated in the rise of the Indian Subcontinent's first urban civilisation. Disha Ahluwalia is an archaeologist and junior research fellow at the Indian Council Of Historical Research. She tweets @ahluwaliadisha. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- The Hindu
Information board at Telangana's sole geo-heritage site inaugurated; presence of rock paintings, structural significance mentioned
A geo-heritage information panel board highlighting the geological importance and structural significance of the Pandavula Gutta rock formations, including their age and the presence of ancient rock paintings, was set up at the State's sole geo-heritage site in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. The initiative, taken by the scientists of Geological Survey of India (GSI), Telangana, would allow the visitors to gain insights into the geo-heritage site and explore the geological marvel. The information panel board was inaugurated by Manju S, Director, GSI, Telangana, at Pandavula Gutta Geo-heritage site on Friday (June 27, 2025). She was accompanied by senior scientists Ramesh Samala, Ramesh Gunda, Tushar Chandra Patel and Ashok Kumar Kalabathula, a press release said. The site's geological importance lies in its unique rock formations including caves and rock shelters and the insights they provide into India's geological past. Pandavula Gutta consists of coarse-grained sandstone of the Jakaram Formation of the Mulugu Group of rocks of Pakhal Supergroup and boasts a rich history, including Paleolithic cave paintings and habitation sites from the Mesolithic to medieval periods. These rock paintings consist of of large sized animal figures viz. bison, antelope, and leopards. Besides these rock paintings, inscriptions of the Rashtrakuta period and fresco paintings of late medieval period have also been reported from these hillocks. Pandavula Gutta is a must-visit geo-tourism site endowed with natural beauty and ancient rock paintings.
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Indian Express
How face of a woman who lived 10,500 years ago, now reconstructed, challenges ‘genetic uniformity' among European hunter-gatherers
With DNA extracted from the body's remains, researchers have reconstructed the face of a woman who lived approximately 10,500 years ago in present-day Belgium. The findings of this analysis challenge earlier assumptions about genetic uniformity among European Mesolithic populations. The team, led by scientists from Ghent University, used advanced genetic and archaeological methods to bring the prehistoric figure to life—revealing a woman with blue eyes, slightly lighter skin, and distinct facial features. Archaeologist Philippe Crombé told CNN 'good quaity' DNA was taken from the woman's skull. The woman's facial reconstruction, including skin tone, hair, and eye colour, was derived from ancient DNA analysis, while other elements like her jewelry and tattoos were informed by broader archaeological evidence. The findings challenge previous assumptions that European hunter gatherers shared the same genetic makeup, according to Project Lead Isabelle De Groote. It also shows that there was already considerable variation in skin color among different populations. 'She had lighter skin than many other Mesolithic people studied so far,' Groote said. 'From the skull, we could also tell she was between 35 and 60 years old…. She had a high nasal bridge and strong brow ridges,' she added, highlighting that the features were similar to the Cheddar Man in the UK. Crombé noted that while most Mesolithic DNA samples belong to a similar genetic group, 'it is to be expected that in the wide area of Western Europe there's some variability, as there is today.' The woman's remains were discovered in the Margaux cave in Dinant during an excavation in the late 1980s, alongside the bodies of eight other women. Many of the bodies were sprinkled with ochre—an indicator of symbolic or ritual behavior—and covered with stone fragments. One skeleton bore post-mortem cut marks. De Groote noted that the 'cave was used over several hundred of years so that they were places of memory that people would go back to despite their mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle.' 'They were still moving around because they were entirely dependent on natural resources,' Crombé explained. 'That forced them to move their settlements regularly.' The team is now working to analyse relationships among the buried individuals and studying dietary habits, including how much fish they consumed. (With inputs from CNN)
