Volume 1, Issue 1

Evidence of Symbolic Behaviour from Prehistoric period at Uppalapadu Quartzite Formation, Kurnool District

Author

1. Dr Jinu Koshy Excavation In-Charge, Dept. Ancient History and Archaeology University of Madras Chennai -600 005. 2. Malar Koshy Research Scholar, Department of Sanskrit

Abstract

The earliest evidence of symbolic behaviour from India goes back to Lower Palaeolithic period (Bednarik et al. 1991) in the form of cupule and a pecked meandering line running parallel to its periphery found on a slab from excavated Auditorium Rockshelter (III F-24), Bhimbetka. Apart from the excavations at Bhimbetka there are many such evidence, which indicate the beginning of symbolic behaviour right from Lower Palaeolithic period. For example, the haematite with striation marks found from a exposed floor of Locality V at Hunsgi, Karnataka (Paddayya 1984, Bednarik 1990), evidence of six small quartz crystal from Singi Talava, Rajasthan and more recently Giriraj Kumar has reported 500 cupules from a site called Dara-ki-Chattan near Bhanpura in Chambal valley (Kumar 1996). As rock art is considered to be one of direct evidence for tracing different aspects relating to symbolic behaviour. The antiquity of rock art in India dates back to Upper Palaeolithic period as evident from Bhimbetka. The use of rock art as a medium for communication was extensively used by our ancestors from Mesolithic period and continued through Iron Age and became minimally used in Historical Period.

DOI

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