MULUGU: Hidden among the hillocks of Mulugu district, rock art dating back between 10,000 and 1,000 years has come to light, offering new evidence of prehistoric life in Telangana.
The site, located about 30 kilometres from Mulugu town in the Bandlapahad forest area, spans the hillocks locally known as Moddu Gutta, Darvajala Gutta and Nemali Gutta.
The rock shelters are adorned with prehistoric paintings depicting anthropomorphic figures, animals such as deer, bulls, tortoises, foxes and wild buffaloes, along with various lines and designs. Most of the paintings are in red, while some are in white.
Natural weathering has made several figures so indistinct that they can no longer be clearly identified. Based on their style and subject matter, the paintings are attributed to the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
The discovery was made by PRIHAH members Gaddam Kranthi Kumar and Tati Sambasiva Rao Dora under the leadership of PRIHAH general secretary Dr MA Srinivasan, assistant professor at Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University.
Unique anthropomorphic paintings found at Moddu Gutta rock shelter
Among the paintings, two large anthropomorphic figures at the rock shelter of Moddu Gutta stand out. They display distinctive adornments on the head and body. One figure is depicted in a vertical posture with designs covering its entire body, while the other is horizontal, featuring unique ornamentation on its head and neck. The artwork also exhibits a ‘superimposition’ effect, where one image appears to have been painted over another.
Bandi Muralidhar Reddy, an expert on prehistoric rock art, described the paintings as unique, noting that anthropomorphic figures of this particular style had not been seen before. He also confirmed that the paintings date back to the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Dr MA Srinivasan said that although similar human figures have been found at Bommala Loddi near Tadvai, those at Moddu Gutta are more artistic and elaborately decorated. He urged the government to preserve the numerous megalithic burials discovered in the Mulugu district and the rock art across these six hillocks as a single unit and develop Mulugu district into a heritage and tourist destination.
The paintings extend beyond Moddu Gutta. Darvajala Gutta contains images of tortoises, many showing the same superimposition effect, with one figure layered over another. White designs and other red-coloured drawings are also visible. At the rock shelter in Nemali Gutta, white-coloured depictions of deer and bulls can be seen.
The hillocks also preserve evidence of prehistoric habitation beyond the paintings. Three Megalithic-era graves, or dolmens, near Nemali Gutta point to human settlement in these hills. Moddu Gutta also has a cave located midway up the hillock. Measuring four metres in width, five metres in height and approximately 15 metres in length, it now serves as a habitat for bats. Nearby rocks bear cup marks and Neolithic grooves, indicating that the area between the hillocks and the cave served as a human settlement during the Neolithic Age.
The latest find adds to decades of archaeological work in Mulugu district. Stone Age paintings were first brought to light there in 1990 by S S Rangachari of the Telangana Archaeology Department at Kosse Gutta and Bommala Loddi in Narsapur village of Tadvai mandal. Since then, similar paintings have been discovered across six hillocks in the district. S S Rangachari, retired deputy director of the Archaeology Department, said extensive evidence of the prehistoric era stretches from Basara to Bhadrachalam and urged that efforts be made to explore and preserve these sites.