Pre-Historic Paintings
They used a wide range of colors, including shades of white, yellow, orange, red ochre, purple, brown, green, and black.
These paints were created by grinding naturally colored rocks.
For instance, red pigment was derived from hematite (locally known as geru in India), green came from a green stone called chalcedony, and white was obtained from limestone.
To bind the pigments, they likely mixed the powdered rock with water and natural adhesives such as animal fat, tree resin, or gum. Brushes were typically made using plant fibers.
The longevity of these colors—lasting thousands of years—is believed to be due to chemical reactions involving oxides present on the rock surfaces.
At many rock art sites, newer paintings have been layered over older ones.
In the Bhimbetka Caves, for example, nearly 20 distinct layers of paintings have been identified, one atop another.
Many of these artworks feature geometric patterns and depict scenes from daily life, especially hunting, along with glimpses into the social and economic activities of the time.
The Karikiyoor rock art site in Kil Kotagiri village, Tamil Nadu, is estimated to be around 5,000 years old.
Unfortunately, it has been damaged by modern graffiti, including religious symbols drawn with whitener pens, political slogans in chalk, and carvings of couples’ names—permanently marring the ancient artwork.
Similarly, the Lakhudiyar Caves in the Almora district of Uttarakhand display finger-painted images in black, red, and white, depicting animals, human figures, and symbolic patterns known as tectiforms.
