Rock Art Sites Push Back Settlement of Northern India

HARYANA, INDIA—The Print reports that Paleolithic paintings and artifacts have been found in multiple rock shelters and open-air sites near Mangar Bani forest in northwestern India’s Aravalli Mountains. The newly found rock art is estimated to date back some 20,000 to 40,000 years. “Some are line drawings, which are the oldest, when humans hadn’t really figured out how to draw complex patterns,” said Banani Bhattacharya of the Haryana Department of Archaeology and Museums. “Then we can see drawings of different geometric shapes, foliage, animals, and human figures. Most of the drawings were made with ochre, although some are white and thus belong to the historic era,” she added. Bhattacharya and her colleagues plan to complete an extensive survey of the remote area soon and develop a plan to protect the sites from mining and tourists. To read about rock paintings discovered at sites across Madhya Pradesh, go to "Around the World: India."