The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has an immense historical and archaeological significance, owing to the discovery of its second-largest petroglyph site. Located in Kurnool district at Mekala Benchi, the site comprises about 80 petroglyphs, intricate rock carvings that give critical insights into past civilizations. Moreover, Kandanathi, another significant location in the same district, houses 200 petroglyphs, making it the largest of such sites in Andhra Pradesh.
Understanding Petroglyphs – An Artistic Expression of Prehistoric Era
Crafted by chipping away directly on the stiff rock surface using stone tools like a chisel and a hammerstone, petroglyphs are not mere rock carvings. They serve as a vibrant canvas that narrates stories of a time long gone, and the art involves more than just pictographs or rock paintings. These carvings predominantly depict images of bulls or bull-riding, an eloquent testament to the cultures and traditions of those times. Accompanying these are carvings of human figures, elephants, creatures resembling tigers, and cupules.
Tracing History through Petroglyphs at Mekala Benchi and Kandanathi
Dating back from the Neolithic to the Megalithic period, the petroglyphs at Mekala Benchi offer a historical timeline marked in stone. On the other hand, the carvings at Kandanathi extend from the prehistoric to the historic period. Studying these etchings reveal intriguing aspects of indigenous communities. For instance, the Boya community, as reflected in the petroglyphs of Kandanathi, was split into different exogamous groups like Mandla, the herdsmen, and Yenubothula, the buffalomen.
Stone Ages of India
India’s Stone Age can be broadly divided into three significant eras – Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. Each period represents distinct lifestyles, tools, and survival strategies of ancient human inhabitants.
The Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age was primarily a hunting and food gathering phase. Stone carvings and paintings discovered at Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh, showcase hunting as the main subsistence activity. Tools from this Period typically include sharpened stones, choppers, hand axes, scrapers, spears, bows and arrows, usually made from hard rock quartzite. This Age spans three phases – Early or Lower Palaeolithic (50,0000 – 100,000 BC), Middle Palaeolithic (100,000 – 40,000 BC), and Upper Palaeolithic (40,000 – 10,000 BC). The upper Paleolithic age is marked by the presence of Homo sapiens.
The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age marks the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene period and brought about favourable changes in the climate. Early Mesolithic age was characterized by continued hunting, fishing, and food gathering. However, it also saw the beginning of animal domestication. The tools used during this Age, collected microliths, were smaller with improved geometry than those of the Palaeolithic era.
Finally, the Neolithic or New Stone Age represented a massive shift in living patterns with the advent of food production. Living in one fixed place for a prolonged period, using pottery, and the invention of crafts were characteristic features of this Age. The toolset also expanded to include heavy ground tools like pestles, grinders, pounders, along with axes and sickles.
| Age | Period |
|---|---|
| Palaeolithic | 500000 – 10000 BC |
| Mesolithic | 10000 – 6000 BC |
| Neolithic | 6000 – 2500 BC |
Megalithic Culture of India
The term ‘Megalithic’ refers to enormous stone structures constructed as burial or commemorative sites. In India, archaeologists trace most of the megaliths to the Iron Age (1500 BC to 500 BC), although some sites predate the Iron Age and extend up to 2000 BC. These are scattered across the Indian subcontinent, primarily in peninsular India, with significant concentrations in Maharashtra (mainly in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
