உலக குகைஓவிய வரலாற்றில் பீம்பேத்கா குகைஓவியங்கள் பெறும் முக்கியத்துவம் - ஓர் ஆய்வு

The Significance of Bhimbetka Rock Paintings in the History of Global Cave Art - A Study

Abstract

Art is considered a vital creative form that exquisitely expresses human inner emotions, sublime thoughts, and external life experiences. It serves as a primary historical source to precisely understand the chronological background of human civilization, its associated culture, social structure, and beliefs. Among these, cave paintings occupy a unique place. Located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, the Bhimbetka cave paintings serve as a global archaeological document that helps us understand the lifestyle characteristics and socio-structural changes of the humans who lived there from the prehistoric Lower Paleolithic period through the historical period and beyond. The primary objective of this study is to examine the historical background, artistic quality, and the changes in human life reflected in the Bhimbetka cave paintings, thereby explaining their cultural and scientific significance. Furthermore, the foundational approach of this research is to establish that the Bhimbetka cave paintings are not merely temporary artistic expressions, but historical records that reveal the social life, hunting strategies, religious beliefs, and the inseparable relationship that contemporary humans shared with their natural environment. To achieve this, secondary data such as archaeological excavation reports, research books, international academic research articles, and photographic records have been analyzed.

Through this study, the lifestyle changes experienced by human society from the Lower Paleolithic period to later periods, as well as the cultural evolution from a hunting-gathering society toward a settled agricultural society, are clearly established through the Bhimbetka cave paintings and stone tool deposits.