HYDERABAD: Imagining how the place now known as Hyderabad looked like some 5,000-7,000 years ago, just when civilisation that flourished here was transitioning from hunting and food gathering to agriculture, would have been quite difficult if our early ancestors not left their imprints on the boulders of Gundlapochampally in Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
These etchings tell a story of a great human civilisation, its art, artisanship and lifestyle. Unfortunately, they may be reduced to rubble in no time, courtesy real estate ventures coming up in that area.In 2015, E Sai Krishna, a native of Gundlapochampally and a research scholar at the time, had discovered four prehistoric rock art sites spread over a 40-acre-land covered in thick vegetation and hills with huge boulders. Each of the sites were different with respect to the images painted, the style and the meaning conveyed by them.
From images of humans, big horned humped bulls, elephant, stag, goat, peacock, hog, deer, fox and nilgai, to images of water buffalo sacrifice and different designs; striking similarities between the rock art here and that found in Harappa were noticed by the researcher, who claims that these artworks spanned upper palaeolithic, mesolithic and neolithic ages.
Sai Krishna also discovered what he thought could be either cup-marks or ringing stones, and grooves that were formed over the ages. They were complemented with stone tools and implements found in the area, which again spanned all these ages.Rapid urbanisation in the area and real estate ventures coming up close to these sites is threatening these sites, which researchers say are among the most significant archaeological findings around Hyderabad. Roads are being laid inside the assigned lands and boulders are being cleared for that purpose.
Sai Krishna also discovered a new rock art site (fifth), which is located inside a venture coming up here. The other sites are located inside assigned lands and forest lands.Archaeologists from Public Research Institute for History, Archaeology and Heritage, have represented to the Gundlapochampally municipality to protect the site, as it dated back to prehistoric times representing the history of human evolution around Hyderabad city.Explorations and test excavations in this area could unearth what could be a treasure trove of historic evidence.
ASI in the picture
As per sources, Archaeological Survey of India- Hyderabad Circle, has visited the site and is presently in the process of trying to get protected rock art site status to these sites.