Hyderabad: Rare Stone Age rock paintings depicting human figures, animals and geometric designs have been documented in the forests of Telangana's Mulugu district, offering fresh evidence of prehistoric human activity dating back between 10,000 and 1,000 years.
The discoveries were made by Public Research Institute for History, Archaeology and Heritage (PRIHAH) members Gaddam Kranthi Kumar and Tati Sambasiva Rao Dora during an exploration led by PRIHAH General Secretary Dr M.A. Srinivasan, Assistant Professor at Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University.
Rock shelters reveal prehistoric life
The paintings were found in rock shelters at Moddu Gutta, Darvajala Gutta and Nemali Gutta in the Bandlapahad forest area, about 30 km from Mulugu town.
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The rock art includes anthropomorphic figures, deer, bulls, tortoises, foxes, wild buffaloes and geometric patterns. Most of the paintings are in red, while some are in white. Several images have faded because of natural weathering.
Based on their style and subject matter, the paintings have been attributed to the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Decorated human figures stand out
Among the discoveries, two large anthropomorphic figures at Moddu Gutta are considered the most significant. Decorated in red and white, the figures display elaborate head and body ornamentation. One is shown standing upright with designs covering its body, while the other is depicted horizontally with distinctive decorations around the head and neck.
The paintings also display superimposition, where newer images were painted over older ones.
Dr Srinivasan said similar human figures had earlier been reported from Bommala Loddi near Tadvai, but those at Moddu Gutta are more artistic and richly decorated.
He urged the government to preserve the newly documented rock art along with the numerous megalithic burial sites in Mulugu district as a single heritage landscape and develop the region as a heritage tourism destination.
Dolmens and cave indicate ancient settlement
Darvajala Gutta contains layered depictions of tortoises along with white designs and additional red paintings. At Nemali Gutta, white paintings of deer and bulls were documented. Three nearby Megalithic dolmens provide further evidence of ancient human habitation.
Prehistoric rock art expert Bandi Muralidhar Reddy described the human figures as unique and said similar examples had not been documented earlier. He confirmed that the paintings belong to the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Researchers also documented a cave at Moddu Gutta measuring about four metres wide, five metres high and nearly 15 metres long. The cave is currently inhabited by bats.
Cup marks and Neolithic grooves found on nearby rocks indicate that the area around the cave once served as a Neolithic settlement.
PRIHAH said scientific training for local youth could help identify more archaeological sites in Telangana's forests and hill ranges.
Stone Age paintings were first reported in Mulugu district in 1990 by retired Archaeology Department Deputy Director S.S. Rangachari at Kosse Gutta and Bommala Loddi near Narsapur village in Tadvai mandal. Since then, prehistoric paintings have been identified across six hillocks in the district.
Rangachari said extensive prehistoric evidence exists from Basara to Bhadrachalam and called for systematic exploration and conservation of these sites.