Peddapalli: Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundham team discovers 1000-year-old rock paintings
Extensive collection of 1000-year-old rock paintings deep within the forest on the hillock known as Sitamma Loddi discovered in Telangana
By Anoushka Caroline Williams Published on 21 Feb 2024 5:05 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A team from Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundham led by photojournalist Duggempudi Ravinder Reddy and rock art expert Dr. Bandi Muralidhar Reddy, in collaboration with Sriramoju Haragopal, has made a significant archaeological discovery at Gattusingaram village in Peddapalli district.
The team uncovered an extensive collection of rock paintings deep within the forest on the hillock known as Sitamma Loddi. The massive sandstone west-facing rock shelter spans approximately 1,000 feet in length and 50 feet in height, making it the second-longest rock shelter in India.
Dating back to the Mesolithic (10-12 thousand years ago) and early historic periods (1st BCE to 6th CE), the red-dominated paintings showcase human figures engaged in group dances, various animals including deer, antelope, tortoise, and monkeys, as well as intricate designs. Noteworthy discoveries include petroglyphs of deer figures, white-colored deer, and human figures in a row.
The team also found handprints of various sizes in red, white, and yellow colors, including rare white and yellow-colored handprints. In addition to the paintings, four engraved and two written label inscriptions in Brahmi script from the early historic periods were uncovered. One inscription sheds light on the Satavahana dynasty, mentioning the name Kumara Hakusiri, while another belongs to the Vishnukundin times, with ongoing decipherment efforts.
Supporting the dating of the paintings, the team discovered several microliths, including a core flake, within the shelter. Evidence such as an early period protected wall, a demolished stone structure from the early historic period, and a fossilized stone containing a shell suggest the site's antiquity, dating back approximately 65 million years.
Describing the significance of the findings, the team stated, "In Telangana, undoubtedly, this site is a diamond mine of rock paintings after Pandavulagutta in Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district."
