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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.
