Early Rock paintings - Concepts - Chapter 2 Class 6 History - Early Humans I - History

• Early rock paintings are ancient artworks that were created by early humans on rocks and cave walls using natural pigments like ochre, charcoal, and mud.
  
  
•  These paintings are some of the oldest known forms of human artistic expression , and they provide important clues about how early humans lived and communicated.

Bhimbetka

• Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh is famous for prehistoric Rock paintings.
  
  
• There are over 750 Rock Shelters here, nearly 500 of which have paintings.
  
  
• The paintings depict scenes from everyday life - of men hunting ( either alone or in groups), riding, dancing, performing religious rituals ; of women grinding and preparing food of children running, jumping, playing and so on.
  
  
• A large number of animals have also been painted, most of them in great detail.
  
  
• The colours used in the paintings are red, green white and ochre.
  
  
• The paintings were perhaps made by grinding various rocks and minerals till they became powder. They were then mixed with water and some sticky substance such as resin from trees.