ONGOLE: Recent discovery of petroglyphs, pictographs and Dolmens by four historians in the Yerragondapalem mandal limits of Prakasam district has pointed towards the existence of Neolithic-age human settlements in the region.
The team, led by Thurimella Srinivasa Prasad and consisting Koundinya Bhargava Sarma, David and Jaya Raj, recently discovered three drawings of hump-back oxen, a trident, a few bird-like figures and unidentifiable patterns on the surface of the stones near Chakrala Bodu in Boyalapalli village.
They also found a few rock carving tools and two Dolmens, which are described as a stone monument made of two or more upright stones with a single stone lying across them. These megalithic structures are considered to be human burial chambers.
Speaking to TNIE, Srinivasa Prasad said, “I was informed about the rock-art forms by some of the shepherds in the area. I immediately rushed to the site and inspected the area. Later, I visited the spot several times with my team, collected a few pieces of evidence and took photographs of the findings to study them further.”
Subsequently, the pictures were sent to two historians, Prof Ramoju Hara Gopal and BV Bhadragirish, who then revealed that the rock-art forms and Dolmens serve as a strong evidence to prove the presence of Neolithic-age human habitation in the area.
“These rock art forms might belong to the late Neolithic (New Stone Age) period as the drawings found on the rocks here resemble the ones found on various Neolithic Age discoveries, dating back to about 5,000 years,” the historians explained.