 |
Rock Art and Archaeology in India
Magazine Shelter
Our second trip in December 2004 took us to the Chambal valley region, in the Bhanpura-Gandhi Sagar area, north of Bhopal, still in Madhya Pradesh but close to Rajasthan. The highlight undoubtedly was the two separate visits we made to the Chaturbhujnath Nala sites, but we also visited two other very different sites that were quite interesting.
One of them can only be accessed by boat, after passing a military checkpoint and with special permission. After a half an hour ride up the river, starting from the huge dam on the Gandhi Sagar lake, we reached a big shelter a few meters above water level, called Magazine Shelter. The painted figures were not very numerous and some old graffiti marred the walls. One painting in faded red was conspicuous and it was the only one of its kind that we saw. It represented a big (1.45m high) vertical crocodile, perfectly rendered in dynamic style with the internal organs described, i.e. in what in Australia is called the X-ray style. Next to it were nine small humans, including some armed with axes. On our return to the dam we had the good surprise to catch sight of a huge and very alive crocodile basking in the sun.
 |
|
 |
|
|
Vertical crocodile in X ray style
|
|
|
Arriving at Magazine Shelter up the river
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Red humans with axes
|
|
|
Two small humans drawn in the
same technique as the crocodile
|
|
|
|
|
|
We also saw the now famous Daraki-Chattan site. We were led by Dr. Giriraj Kumar to a small narrow cleft in the tall cliff faces the valley of the Rewa. Its sides are covered with hundreds of deeply patinated cupules, 498 according to the Dr. Giriraj Kumar, who led us there and who has been excavating the slope right outside the cave (Kumar 2000/2001).
In his excavations he found another cupule on a fallen rock under a 50 centimetres thick upper layer. The lower layers are all Acheulian. The discovery in theses layers of hammer stones supposed to have been used for the production of cupules was announced at the 2004 Agra Congress.
(right) Cupules on a wall from Daraki-Chattan site
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
