Which of the following places is famous for prehistoric paintings?

2018

Which of the following places is famous for prehistoric paintings?

  1. A.

    Sanchi

  2. B.

    Bhimbetka

  3. C.

    Amaravati

  4. D.

    Bagh

Attempted by 4 students.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Prehistoric art refers to paintings and engravings made before the advent of writing or historical records, mostly during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, typically found on the walls of natural rock shelters and caves. Such sites are identified and dated through archaeological methods — stratigraphy, pigment analysis, and the style of depicted animals, hunting scenes, and tools — distinguishing them from the historic-era religious or monumental art built later by organised societies.

Bhimbetka, located in Madhya Pradesh, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing more than 700 rock shelters spread across seven hills, with paintings spanning the Upper Paleolithic through the Mesolithic and later periods, depicting hunting scenes, wild animals, and early human life. It is the most extensively documented and internationally recognised prehistoric rock-art site in India, confirmed by both the Archaeological Survey of India and UNESCO.

In contrast, the other sites belong to the historic period, not the prehistoric era:

  • Sanchi is celebrated for its Buddhist stupas and carved gateways, built from the 3rd century BCE onward.

  • Amaravati is known for its historic-era Buddhist stupa and sculpted limestone panels of the Satavahana period (often called the "Amaravati Marbles" although the stone is limestone, not marble).

  • Bagh is famous for Buddhist cave murals belonging to roughly the 4th to 6th century CE.

Hence, Bhimbetka is the place famous for prehistoric paintings.

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