Rock Art Research

The primary rationale of the Early Indian Petroglyphs Project is to investigate claims of theoccurrence of Lower Palaeolithic petroglyphs in central regions of India. Other purposes of this multi-facetted research project are to provide new data for the chronology of the Middle and Late Pleistocenehominin history of India; to introduce scientific methods of rock art dating in this country; and toinvestigate its Lower Palaeolithic stone tool industries. This project, a collaboration of Indian andAustralian researchers, was commenced in 2001. It involves archaeological excavations, a range ofanalytical studies and intensive field surveys, and it will continue for several more years. Since itsfindings are of considerable significance it would not be appropriate to defer the publication of alldetails until after its completion. The present paper is a detailed progress report of this work, offeringan overview of its theoretical base and presenting its first tangible results. They indicate that LowerPalaeolithic petroglyphs have been located at two sites, and may exist at a few others not yet adequatelyinvestigated. These initial results also provide the first datings of Indian rock art, secured from manysites of petroglyphs and pictograms in various parts of central India.