The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Pre-historic paintings under threat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 07, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Pre-historic paintings under threat

Special Correspondent

The brewing of illicit liquor at Ketavaram is causing incalculable harm to the rich
pre-historic paintings

- Photo: U. Subramanyam

In danger: Rock paintings at Ketavaram hill range in Kurnool district.

KURNOOL: The last evidence of pre-historic man available to us in the form of red-grayware rock paintings is facing a severe threat from the liquor mafia at Ketavaram, 20 km from here.

As the area is inaccessible, the liquor mafia has made the rocky hills its den to brew illicit liquor. The illegal activity is causing incalculable harm to the rich treasure of mankind, as the smoke from the hearth has darkened the cave walls and eclipsed the paintings too. As any Government department is yet to recognise the value of the paintings, the site has become highly vulnerable.

Magnificent gift

Some miscreants have even sketched similar figures and some slogans with chemical paint. Nature has gifted these magnificent rock formations, spread over several square kilometres, to the people of Kurnool district. But very few know that the rock formations, which are believed to belong to the middle stone age and date back to 4000-5000 BC, were home to pre-historic man.

Hundreds of patterns adore the flat surface of basalt rocks.

The paintings were believed to be drawn using acidic “pen” that discolours the rock surface due to chemical reaction.

The rock paintings are prominently seen at Ketavaram, L. Banda, Billa Sargam near Bethamcharla and Banaganapalle. Archaeologists saw a similarity between the Indus Valley script and the patterns at Ketavaram offering scope for a comparative study of both civilisations.

K. Maddaiah, Reader in history at the Government Degree College, said that archaeologists had not done not enough work on the Ketavaram rock paintings since they were first discovered by a British official, Robert Bruce Foot, about 100 years ago.

S. Kasipandyan, an IAS officer who worked as Collector of Kurnool district 30 years ago, was inspired by the paintings and caves to write a book - The Hidden Heritage.

According to him, the Tungabhadra valley civilisation was one the ancient civilisations which transformed into urban settlements of Indus valley civilisation at a later age.

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