Stone Age rock painting site discovered in Rajasthan

A grocery shop owner, with a hobby of exploring archaeological treasures, has claimed to have discovered a rock painting site dating back over 10,000 years on the hilltop of Vindhyachal hill terrain in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district.

Over 1,000 images drawn in sharp ochre, dark red and brown colours were discovered on June 1 on the banks of Chambal river in six shelters in 'Gendi Ka Chajja' area, said amateur archaeologist Om Prakash Sharma 'Kukki', who had earlier also discovered a rock painting stretching up to 35km of pre-historic age in Garadha area of Bundi district.

The images include human figures with long and slim physical constitution and long hair and figures of wild animals.

Kukki, who has had no academic connection with archaeology but immense passion for exploring the past, claims that these rock paintings may date back over 10,000 years in the Stone Age.

"A few of the striking features of these rock paintings are the use of sharp and dark colours and overlapping figures that denote the constant use of rock surface for drawing and developing paintings from time to time," he said.

Kukki, who has been awarded by the government for his contribution to discovering rock painting sites in Rajasthan, has so far discovered over 79 sites of rock paintings in the state.

He said that the new rock painting site is unique as it is situated on the hill top where about 15-20 foot high rock shelters are erected. Most of the rock paintings sites in the world are generally found in the lower shelters on the river banks.