10,000 Year Old Rock Art Paintings Found at Indrapalanagaram
They also found an inscription, broken into two pieces, lying in front of a temple dating back to the Rashtrakuta era
Hyderabad: New archaeological findings, including prehistoric caves believed to be around 10,000 years old, and rock art paintings have been found at Indrapalanagaram, a site known as the first capital of the Vishnukundin dynasty, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri. Some of the artefacts were recovered during work going on under the rural jobs scheme.
A team led by heritage enthusiast Reddy Ratnakar Reddy of the Matti Foundation, along with members Vinay Goli, Abhishek, Samudrala Raju and Samudrala Srinivas, identified the caves at the at the base and on the upper reaches of the Shankaram hill.
The findings include ancient red-coloured paintings that had deteriorated, on a large rock face about 15 feet above the ground, along the path to the Yellamma temple. Since the Pancheshwar Alayam temple had been built during the reign of Rani Rudramadevi, researchers said these paintings could date back to the Kakatiya era.
In addition, digging at Patigadda, during work under the 100-day employment guarantee scheme, yielded microlithic tools, neolithic stone axes, megalithic mortars and pottery fragments, vessels with a golden-hued glaze, ivory bangles, and beads. Researchers said that the evidence suggested the presence of dolmen burials on the hill and megalithic burial chambers at its base.
They also found an inscription, broken into two pieces, lying in front of a temple dating back to the Rashtrakuta era. Sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras are located to the south of Shankaram Gutta, where another inscription is found on a rock facing them.
Ratnakar Reddy expressed concern that crucial historical evidence was being destroyed during work carried out under the employment guarantee scheme due to a lack of awareness. He urged the heritage department to conduct official excavations at Indrapalanagara, re-erecting the broken inscription found on Shankaram Gutta, and protecting the fading paintings and the Vinayaka idol dating back to the Vishnukundina period located in the fields.