Continuity in Rock Art : A Conceptual Model from India

Continuity in Rock Art: a Conceptual

Model from India

Ruman Banerjee

University of Bristol, TLHE

(Teaching and Learning in

Higher Education)

Presentation. (31.05.2012)

Introduction

Methodology

Field-Work Data

Data Analysis

Hypothesis

Testing

Data Interpretation

Conclusion

Study Regions and

Microareas

Who are we ? What do we do? How do we

do? Where do we live? Why do we do?

The Birhors with their catch (1970s)

Birhor Trappers with nets (1990s)

Birhor Tribals in traditional leaf dwellings,

Jharkhand, India .

Other tribal groups are Ganju, Oraon,

Kurmi, Prajapati, Bhuiya etc. Photo Courtesy : Mr. Bulu Imam

Continuity of tradition

carved on wooden blocks.

Gata Tradition.

From Pachmari, India

Rock art of Jambudeep site,

Pachmari depicting horse

rider and community dance

Decorated houses from Mirzapur , Uttar Pradesh

and Bundi, Rajasthan, India

e

From where do

they get the raw

material to paint

From the local

geology, lithology,

outcrop: haematite,

goethite, limonite,

kaoline

Realistic portrayal

Rock art from Rajasthan

The domestic decoration describing

a hunt, located in the same area.

The site is located at the top of a

small hillock not very far from this

Bhil village

Birhor Child Drawings, Jharkhand

A Kurmi tribal house near the rock art

painted with animals in the Khovar style

Photo Courtesy : Mr. Bulu Imam

Birhor paintings on government housing

and murals of Sohrai style : Note the

difference in subject matter that delineates

the function , influence and structure of

the art

Photo Courtesy: Mr. Bulu Imam

Sohrai in Bhelwara

Putli painting by Ganju tribe

Sohrai in Hazaribagh

Photo Courtesy : Mr. Bulu Imam

Wheeled and spotted figure

from ISCO rock art site:

North Karanpura Valley,

Jharkhand, India

Similar contemporary figure by Kurmi tribals in

Bhelwara for the Sohrai harvest mural painting

Similar contemporary figure by Kurmi tribals in

Bhelwara for the Sohrai harvest mural painting:

Evidences of continuity from rock surface to clay

surface

Similar contemporary figure by Kurmi tribals in

Bhelwara for the Sohrai harvest mural painting

Sohrai Symbol

Sidpa

rock art

Khandar

rock art site

Aripan same as

Khandar

Continuity in art , as seen both in the rock art and domestic decoration in the village

houses of the same region. Most of the times the sites are located very close to these

villages, but within the jungle.

Why is it important??

It helps us to understand the function of present day murals and worldview of

different indigenous communities spreading all across central India and then to

make an attempt to understand the rock art of the late phases and/or of the historic

past .

Sohrai harvest art

Common features are seen both in

the rock art and the wall decorations

with specific regional characters.

A Ganju tribal house painted with animals in the Sohrai style near the

rock art of Isco in Hazaribagh

Photo Courtesy : Mr. Bulu Imam

Bull in the Nautangwa

Rock Art Site

Spotted- deer in Satpahar Rock Art Site

Ganju Sohrai painting on the

house wall

Bull in the Thethangi Rock Art Site

Photo Courtesy : Mr. Kantikumar Anant Pawar

Painted rock shelter from Dharul, Madhya Pradesh and ancient Godhani symbol,

painted inside the rock-shelter

Conclusion: Tribal art is a continuity of the total tradition of the rock art of late

phases restricted in the same eco-geography and geology.

Different Depictions of Godhani, from Maharashtra

Inside of Rock Shelter On a Ground stone Inside of Rock Shelter

On the outside and inner Walls of the Gond Tribals Photo Courtesy: Mr.

Kanti Pawar

References

Abbas,R. 2006. Prehistoric Investigations in the Parbati Basin. Unpublished

Ph.D. Thesis, Pune: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute.

Chakraverty, S. 2011. Evolving preliterate artas a communication system:

Evidences from India in global perspective. Papers: XXIV Valcamonica

Symposium. Capo di Ponte, Italy.

Fischer, J.L. 1961. Art styles as cultural cognitive maps. American

Anthropologist. 63:79-93.

Imam, B. 2011. Comparative traditions in village painting and prehistoric rock art

of Jharkhand. Papers: XXIV Valcamonica Symposium. Capo di Ponte, Italy.

Pawar et al. 2011. Painted Rock Shelters at Dharul, in the Upper Tapi Basin,

Madhya Pradesh. Man and Environment: 45-50.

Thank you very much for your kind

attention.