HYDERABAD: A team from the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundham (KTCB) has discovered several rock paintings and inscriptions at Seethamma Loddi in Gattu Singaram village of Peddapalli district. One inscription mentions Satavahana prince Hakusiri, while another is believed to belong to the Vishnukundins dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The paintings, found on a hillock deep inside a forest, are predominantly red, with some white and yellow colours used as well. They depict men and women dancing, men with bows and arrows, footprints, and various animals including deer, antelope, tortoise, jungle cat, monkeys, and wild lizards. The team also noticed intricate diamond-shaped designs. In a rare discovery, white and yellow handprints were also spotted.
The paintings date back to the Mesolithic period (10,000 to 12,000 years ago) and the Early Historic period (1st BCE to 6th CE). Several microliths, including a core flake, were discovered at the site. Additionally, a protected wall made of weathered black stone and a demolished stone structure from the Early Historic period were observed. A fossilised stone containing shells was also found, indicating the site’s age to be 65 million years old.
Dr Bandi Muralidhar Reddy described the site as a “diamond mine” of rock paintings, similar to Pandavula Gutta in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.
The team, consisting of KTCB honorary advisor and photojournalist Duggempudi Ravinder Reddy, rock art expert and KTCB advisor Dr Bandi Muralidhar Reddy, and convenor Sriramoju Haragopal, is currently deciphering the inscriptions.