In the central part of India, in the province of Madhya Pradesh, there are caves that house the largest collection of prehistoric art in India. The Bhimbetka caves are natural hollows and openings in the rocks that, in some places, more closely resemble canopies or shelters in unusual stone formations. Around seven hundred such caves have been found in the wider area, of which about four hundred are painted. They are divided into several groups, with 243 belonging to the Bhimbetka group. These are also the most explored and beautifully painted caves.
Although mentioned in a record from 1888, and described as a “Buddhist site,” it was not until 1957 that they were publicly discovered by one of India’s greatest archaeologists, Vishnu S. Wakankar.
Archaeological research reveals that the caves were continuously used from the late Paleolithic period (ten thousand years ago) until the early historical period. However, research conducted in the 1990s in a cave called Auditorum revealed the oldest prehistoric cave paintings known to date. The etrogliphs, estimated to be as old as two hundred and ninety thousand years, are considered to have been created during the Mesolithic period, with the most recent ones dating back a thousand years, although more precise dating is still being conducted.
The paintings clearly belong to various historical periods and range from graphic, geometric, realistic to stylized and decorative. Various animals are most commonly depicted, from extinct to living ones (bisons, tigers, lions, wild boars, elephants, monkeys, etc.), mostly in hunting scenes or in mutual battles, but also domestic animals such as horses and dogs. Humans are depicted as armed hunters capturing animals. The paintings also depict everyday life: honey gathering, dancing, body decoration, and women with children doing household chores. In later periods, scenes of people in processions on horses and elephants, battle scenes, people riding in carriages, as well as Buddhist symbols and mythical portrayals appear. The paintings vary in size, ranging from a few. centimeters to those impressive ones painted on the ceiling measuring 5 x 2 meters. Most of them are painted in white and red, while green and yellow colors are used more sparingly. It is unusual that the drawings have not faded even after several thousand years.
We have no information about the cave dwellers except for the pictures they left behind. One theory is that they were distant ancestors of the indigenous Indian people, the Adivasis, who still live in that area today – the site is surrounded by twenty-one villages where the tradition of hunting and fruit gathering is still present, and the paintings and symbols on the walls of their houses and everyday objects speak of a strong and vibrant connection to the culture of those who painted the caves. The site itself was unknown to the rest of the world until about fifty years ago, which is why it has preserved a high degree of authenticity.
The Bhimbetka caves, whose earliest drawings are compared to cave drawings found in Australia (Kakadu National Park) and South Africa (Ukhahlamba), But in France (Lascaux) UNESCO included it on the list of world cultural heritage in 2003.