What is Prehistoric Rock Paintings?
The term ‘Prehistory’ refers to the distant past when there was no paper or language or the written word. Painting and drawing were the oldest art forms practiced by human beings to express themselves, using the cave walls as their canvas.
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Why did prehistoric people draw these Rock Paintings?
They may have drawn and painted to make their homes more colorful and beautiful or to keep visual record of their day-to-day life, like some of us who maintain a diary.
In some pictures, animals are chasing men. In others they are being chased and hunted by men. Some of the animal paintings, especially in the hunting, though animals were painted in a naturalistic style, humans were depicted only in a stylistic manner. Women are painted both in the nude and clothed.
Some of the pictures of men, women and children seem to depict a sort of family life.
The artists of Bhimbetka used many colours, including various shades of white, yellow, orange, red ochre, purple, brown, green and black. But white and red were their favourite colours.
The paints were made by grinding various rocks and minerals. They got red from haematite (known as geru in India). The green came from a green variety of a stone called chalcedony. White might have been made out of limestone.
What is amazing is that these colours have survived thousands of years of adverse weather conditions. It is believed that the colours have remained intact because of the chemical reaction of the oxide present on the surface of the rocks.
Sites of Prehistoric Rock Paintings
Bhimbetka: Pre historic rock shelter is found in Bhimbetka. These shelters have pre historic rock paintings depicting the hunting seen among others.
The painting ranges from the period of Mesolithic to medieval. It is UNESCO heritage site.
Narsinghgarh: The cave paintings of Narsinghgarh (Maharashtra) show skins of spotted deer left drying.
Kurnool: Prehistoric rock art site, Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves in the district.
Michoro ya Miamba ya Zamani Ni Nini? Neno "Uhistoria wa Zamani" hurejezea wakati uliopita wakati hakukuwa na karatasi au lugha au neno lililoandikwa. Uchoraji na uchoraji ni aina za kale zaidi za sanaa ambazo wanadamu walitumia kujieleza, wakitumia kuta za mapango kama canvas yao. Kwa nini watu wa kale walichora michoro hiyo ya miamba? Huenda walichora na kupaka rangi ili kufanya nyumba zao ziwe zenye rangi na maridadi zaidi au ili kuhifadhi rekodi ya maisha yao ya kila siku, kama wengine wetu wanaofanya kitabu cha kumbukumbu. Katika picha fulani, wanyama wanawafukuza watu. Katika maeneo mengine wao wanashindwa na kuwindwa na wanaume. Picha za wanyama, hasa za kuwinda, ingawa zilipigwa kwa mtindo wa asili, watu walionyeshwa tu kwa mtindo. Wanawake hupakwa rangi wakiwa uchi na wakiwa wamevalia. Baadhi ya picha za wanaume, wanawake na watoto huonekana kuonyesha aina fulani ya maisha ya familia. Wasanii wa Bhimbetka walitumia rangi nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na vivuli mbalimbali vya nyeupe, manjano, machungwa, nyekundu ochre, zambarau, kahawia, kijani na nyeusi. Lakini rangi nyeupe na nyekundu ndizo walizopenda zaidi. Rangi hizo zilitengenezwa kwa kusaga miamba na madini mbalimbali. Zilikuwa nyekundu kutokana na haematiti ( inayojulikana kama geru nchini India). Rangi ya kijani-kibichi ilitokana na aina ya jiwe lenye rangi ya kijani-kibichi linaloitwa chalcedony. Huenda nyeupe ilitengenezwa kwa mawe ya chokaa. Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba rangi hizo zimeokoka maelfu ya miaka ya hali mbaya ya hewa. Inaaminika kwamba rangi hizo zimebaki zikiwa sawa kwa sababu ya athari ya kemikali ya oksidi iliyopo kwenye uso wa miamba. Maeneo ya Michoro ya Miamba ya Kabla ya Historia Bhimbetka: Makazi ya miamba ya kabla ya historia hupatikana katika Bhimbetka. Makao hayo yana michoro ya kale ya mwamba inayoonyesha uwindaji ulioonekana miongoni mwa wengine. Michoro hiyo inatokana na kipindi cha Mesolithic hadi enzi za kati. Ni eneo la urithi wa UNESCO. Narsinghgarh: Michoro ya pango ya Narsinghgarh (Maharashtra) inaonyesha ngozi za nyati zenye madoa zikiwa zimeachwa zikiuka. Kurnool: Prehistoric mwamba sanaa tovuti, Belum Caves ni geologically na kihistoria muhimu mapango katika wilaya.