Prehistoric Rock Paintings | Bhimbetaka Cave Paintings | Art and Culture | Lesson 01

Summary

This video offers an insightful overview of prehistoric rock paintings in India, a significant aspect of Indian Art from the class XI fine art textbook. It defines the prehistoric period and distinguishes it from the protohistoric and historic periods. The script delves into the discovery of rock paintings, particularly focusing on the Bhimbetaka caves, detailing their historical periods and the depictions of animals, hunters, and daily life. It also explains the pigments used by ancient artists and their preservation. The video encourages further study and reflection on the legacy left by our ancestors for future generations.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video is an introduction to the first chapter of the Class XI fine art textbook, focusing on prehistoric rock paintings in India.
• 🕰 History is categorized into prehistoric, protohistoric, and historic periods, with the prehistoric period lacking written records.
• 🎨 The first discovery of rock paintings in India was by Archibold Carlile in 1867-68, highlighting the long-standing tradition of such art.
• 🌏 Prehistoric cave paintings in India are found across various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
• 🏞 Bhimbetaka, located south of Bhopal, is a significant site with around 500 rock shelters bearing paintings, discovered by VS Wakankar in the 1950s.
• 🗝 The rock shelters of Bhimbetaka are classified into seven historical periods, with the video detailing the Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Chalcolithic periods.
• 🎨🐃 The Upper Palaeolithic period paintings feature large animal figures like bison, elephants, and rhinos, along with stick-like human figures.
• 🎨🏹 The Mesolithic period is characterized by hunting scenes with smaller character sizes, group hunts, and depictions of animals showing fear.
• 🎨🛒 The Chalcolithic period paintings reflect interactions and trade with settled communities, likely from the Malwa plains.
• 🖌️ The Bhimbetaka artists used a variety of colors derived from natural sources like haematite, chalcedony, and limestone, mixed with water or animal fat.
• 🌈 The longevity of the colors is attributed to their reaction with rock oxides, preserving these ancient artworks for future generations.
• 🔍 Prehistoric paintings provide insights into the lifestyle, food habits, daily routines, and mindset of our ancestors, serving as a treasured legacy.

Q & A

What are the three periods into which history is divided?

History is divided into the prehistoric period, the protohistoric period, and the historic period.

What distinguishes the prehistoric period from the protohistoric period in terms of written records?

The prehistoric period has no written records available, while the protohistoric period has written records, but they are from contemporary civilizations and the script is not deciphered.

Who made the first discovery of rock paintings in India, and when?

The first discovery of rock paintings in India was made by Archibold Carlile in 1867-68.

When and where was the Cave of Altamira discovered?

The Cave of Altamira was discovered in Spain in 1879-80.

Who discovered the caves of Bhimbetaka and in which years?

VS Wakankar discovered the caves of Bhimbetaka in 1957-58.

In which Indian states are prehistoric cave paintings found?

Prehistoric cave paintings in India are found in several districts of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and others.

Where is Bhimbetaka located and who discovered its caves?

Bhimbetaka is located 45 km south of Bhopal and was discovered by VS Wakanakar in the 1950s.

How many rock shelters are there in Bhimbetaka and how many bear paintings?

There are about eight hundred rock shelters in Bhimbetaka, and around 500 of these bear paintings.

What are the three historical periods covered in the chapter on Bhimbetaka?

The three historical periods covered in the chapter are the Upper Palaeolithic Period, the Mesolithic Period, and the Chalcolithic Period.

What are the unique features of the Chalcolithic Period paintings in Bhimbetaka?

The unique feature of the Chalcolithic Period is that the paintings depict mutual exchanges and trade with settled communities, most probably of the Malwa plains.

What materials were used to make the colors for the rock paintings in Bhimbetaka?

The artists used colors derived from haematite (red), Chalcedony (green), and limestone (white). The stone was ground into a powder and mixed with water or animal fat before applying to the wall-canvas.

What can we learn from the prehistoric paintings about our ancestors?

These prehistoric paintings help us understand our ancestors' lifestyle, their food, habits, daily routine, and their way of thinking.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Indian Prehistoric Rock Paintings

This video introduces the first chapter from the class XI fine art textbook, focusing on prehistoric rock paintings in India. It provides an overview of the topic, discusses concepts and important points for exams, and encourages further reading from NCERT. The script explains the division of history into prehistoric, protohistoric, and historic periods, highlighting the absence of written records in the prehistoric era. It mentions significant discoveries in rock painting history, including those by Archibold Carlile in India and the Cave of Altamira in Spain, as well as the extensive paintings found in Bhimbetaka, discovered by VS Wakankar. The video promises to give viewers a headstart in understanding this ancient art form.

05:03

🏞️ Bhimbetaka: A Rich Repository of Prehistoric Art

The script delves into the details of Bhimbetaka, a site located 45 km south of Bhopal, known for its approximately 800 rock shelters, half of which contain paintings. The caves' historical periods are categorized, but the video focuses on three: the Upper Palaeolithic with its depictions of large animals and human figures; the Mesolithic with its smaller character sizes and hunting scenes; and the Chalcolithic, characterized by depictions of trade and community interactions. The artists used a variety of colors derived from natural sources like haematite, chalcedony, and limestone, applying them with brushes made from plant fibers. These paintings offer insights into the lifestyle, food habits, and daily routines of our ancestors, serving as a testament to their creativity and a legacy for future generations. The video concludes by urging viewers to revisit the material for better understanding and to share the video if they find it helpful.

Keywords

💡Prehistoric Rock Paintings

Prehistoric rock paintings are ancient artworks that were created during the prehistoric period, before the advent of written records. They provide a visual record of the lives and cultures of early humans. In the video, these paintings are the central theme, with a focus on Indian rock art, particularly the Bhimbetaka caves, which offer insights into the lifestyle and thought processes of our ancestors.

💡Prehistoric Period

The prehistoric period is the first of three historical eras, characterized by the absence of written records. It is a time when human societies developed and evolved without leaving behind written documentation of their history. In the context of the video, the prehistoric period sets the stage for the study of rock paintings, which are the primary historical evidence from this era.

💡Protohistoric Period

The protohistoric period follows the prehistoric period and is marked by the presence of written records, although they may not be deciphered or from the civilization being studied. For instance, the script of the Indus Valley Civilization is mentioned as an example in the video. This period bridges the gap between prehistory and history, providing some written context to the study of early human societies.

💡Historic Period

The historic period is the final era in the division of history, where written records are readily available and easily understood. This period represents a significant shift from the prehistoric and protohistoric periods, as it allows for a more comprehensive understanding of human history through documented accounts. The video briefly mentions this period to contrast it with the earlier eras.

💡Bhimbetaka

Bhimbetaka is a site located in India, known for its extensive collection of prehistoric rock paintings. The video script discusses the discovery of these caves by VS Wakankar and their significance in understanding early human life. Bhimbetaka serves as a case study within the video, illustrating the variety of artistic expressions and historical periods represented in the rock art.

💡Upper Palaeolithic Period

The Upper Palaeolithic Period is one of the time frames within the prehistoric era, characterized by the depiction of large animal figures and early human representations in the rock paintings. The video describes this period in Bhimbetaka, noting the use of green for dancers and red for hunters, indicating the cultural and artistic practices of the time.

💡Mesolithic Period

The Mesolithic Period is another historical phase discussed in the video, during which hunting scenes were predominant in the rock art. This period is noted for smaller character sizes and detailed depictions of hunting methods and animal behavior, reflecting the Mesolithic people's close relationship with and understanding of animals.

💡Chalcolithic Period

The Chalcolithic Period is highlighted in the video for its unique depictions of trade and interaction between different communities. This period's paintings in Bhimbetaka show a more complex social structure and economic activity, indicating a significant development in human society from the earlier periods.

💡Haematite

Haematite, referred to as 'geru' in India, is a mineral source of red pigment used in the Bhimbetaka rock paintings. The video explains how this natural resource was utilized by ancient artists to create vibrant and enduring artwork, demonstrating the resourcefulness and artistic skill of prehistoric people.

💡Chalcedony

Chalcedony is a type of quartz that was used as a source for green pigment in the rock paintings. The video mentions its use during the Upper Palaeolithic Period, showing how different colors were derived from natural materials and applied to the rock surfaces to create the ancient art.

💡Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that was ground into powder and used as a white pigment in the Bhimbetaka paintings. The video describes the process of creating paint from limestone, which involved mixing the ground rock with water or animal fat, illustrating the techniques used by prehistoric artists.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, shaped by cultural traditions, and valued for their significance to the present. The video emphasizes the importance of prehistoric rock paintings as a part of India's cultural heritage, providing a visual record of early human life and thought.

Highlights

Introduction to Indian Art through prehistoric rock paintings in the first chapter of the class XI textbook.

Prehistoric period lacks written records, unlike the protohistoric and historic periods.

First discovery of Indian rock paintings by Archibold Carlile in 1867-68.

Cave of Altamira discovered in Spain in 1879-80.

VS Wakankar discovered Bhimbetaka caves in 1957-58.

Prehistoric cave paintings found in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and more.

Bhimbetaka caves located 45 km south of Bhopal, discovered by VS Wakanakar in the 1950s.

Around 800 rock shelters in Bhimbetaka, with about 500 bearing paintings.

Rock shelters in Bhimbetaka classified into seven historical periods, focusing on three in this chapter.

Upper Palaeolithic Period: Depiction of huge animals and stick-like human figures.

Mesolithic Period: Predominant hunting scenes with smaller character sizes.

Mesolithic men portrayed animals with detailed expressions, showcasing fear during hunting.

Chalcolithic Period: Depiction of mutual exchanges and trade with settled communities.

Artists used a variety of colors in Bhimbetaka paintings.

Red color derived from haematite, green from Chalcedony, and white from limestone.

Colors were mixed with water or animal fat and applied with brushes made from plant fibers.

Prehistoric paintings provide insights into the lifestyle, food habits, daily routines, and mindset of our ancestors.

Encouragement to read the chapter and watch the video again for better understanding.

Offer to provide notes in PDF format and join membership for further study.

Call to share videos and support the creation of content that helps a maximum number of people.

Transcripts

In this video, we will learn the first chapter from the class XI the fine art textbook- introduction

to Indian Art. The name of the chapter is prehistoric rock paintings. This video will

give you an overview of the topic. I will discuss concepts and some important points

which are useful from exam perspective. Hopefully, this video will give you a headstart. Also,

make sure that you read the same topic from NCERT for better understanding.

Let us first discuss what is Prehsotric?

History is divided into three periods.

First, the prehistoric period Second, the protohistoric period

finally, the historic period.

For a prehistoric period, there are no written records available. Whereas dor the protohistoric

period written records are available but from contemporary civilization, moreover, the script

used is not deciphered, for example, the Indus valley civilization.

Finally, written records are easily available for the historic period.

Now let us discuss some facts -

The first discovery of the rock paintings in India was made by the Archibold Carlile

in 1867-68 The Cave of Altamira was discovered in Spain in

1879-80 VS Wakankar discovered the caves of Bhimbetaka in

1957-58 The prehistoric cave paintings in India are

found in the several districts of the Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar,

Uttarakhand and so on. Now let us discuss the Bhimbetaka in detail-

Bhimbetaka is located 45 km south of Bhopal The caves of Bhimbetaka was discovered by

VS Wakanakar in the 1950s In an area of 10 square kilometres, there

are about eight hundred rock shelters and among these 800 around 500 bear paintings.

Rock shelters in Bhimbetaka have been classified in seven historical periods but here in this

chapter, we will study only three.

Upper Palaeolithic Period: Here huge animal figures such as bison, elephants, rhinos are

depicted. Some paintings show humans in stick-like human figures. The green colour is used for

dancers and red colour for hunters. Mesolithic Period: Here hunting scene predominates.

The size of the characters became smaller in this period. Scenes included hunters hunting

in groups, using traps to kill the animals. Some paintings showing animal chasing men.

Mesolithic men loved to paint animals, they were animal lovers. They have even showcased

fear in the animal while being hunted. Such were the details. In many rock shelters, historians

found handprints, fist prints and dots made by the fingerprints.

Chalcolithic Period: The unique feature of the chalcolithic period is that paintings

depict mutual exchanges and trade with settled communities most probably of malwa plains.

The artists of the Bhimbetaka used many colours -white, yellow, orange, purple, green, brown

and black Artist got Red colour from haematite, known

as geru in India Green came from Chalcedony

White from limestone Stone was ground into a powder then mixed

with water or fat of animals before applying to the wall-canvas.

Brushes were made from the plant fibre. These colours are still intact mostly because

of reaction with rock oxides.

These prehistoric paintings help us to understand our ancestors, their lifestyle, their food

habits their daily routine, and their mind and the way they thought. These paintings

are the greatest wealth that they left and we remember them for these paintings. So what

are you living behind for future generations?

Now for better understanding read this chapter also watch this video again to consolidate

concepts. To get notes in PDF format to join the membership. If you like the video and

you want me to make such videos share them. I will make only those video in which people

are interested and I will get the ultimate satisfaction that I am helping a maximum number

of people.