A team from the Thiruvannamalai District Research Centre has discovered four ancient rock paintings, believed to be from the megalithic era, approximately 3,000 to 4,000 years old. The paintings were found in Keelvazhai Udayanatham, near Kandachipuram in Villupuram district.
The team, consisting of S Balamurugan and C Palanisamt from the Thiruvannamalai District History Research Centre, along with K Saravankumar from Thiruvamathur, made the discovery on a slanting rock near a water body. According to Balamurugan, the artwork was drawn on the lower portion of the rock.
Renowned rock art expert Dr. KT Gandhirajan analyzed the paintings and identified them as depicting human figures. One of the paintings shows a human figurine with a raised hand, while another depicts a figure facing down with hair standing out, its hands spread fingers. Dr. Gandhirajan suggested that these could represent a man performing a dance or trying to capture an animal.
Dr. KT Gandhirajan further explained that alongside the human figure, two deer are depicted in the right-hand corner of the rock, with two concentric circles drawn beneath the first deer. According to the expert, the circles symbolize ripples in the water caused by the deer’s movement near a waterhole or body of water.
Additionally, two more circles on the rock may represent either ripples in the water or have an astronomical significance. Such drawings were previously discovered near Thiruvathur in Madurai district. Dr. Gandhirajan also noted that another drawing, located near the circles, may depict a human figure partially submerged in water, possibly from the top to the hip. He speculated that the artwork could also represent traps laid for the deer.
The expert emphasised that the paintings were executed with great precision, using simple geometric proportions, and were highly realistic. He urged for the preservation of these ancient paintings and the protection of the site to safeguard this invaluable cultural heritage.
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