Nineteen rocks with petroglyph arts were found at a site, Avalakki Pare, 15 km from Kollur, on February 17.

Udupi  :

Nineteen rocks with petroglyph arts were found at a site, Avalakki Pare, 15 km from Kollur, on February 17. These were discovered by Prof T Murugeshi of the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva, and his team.Prof Murugeshi said these 19 rock etchings were found in 15-20 acres of grazing land in the wildlife reserve forest. These petroglyphs, as per initial understanding, are 12,000 years old, dating back to 10,000 BC.

Of the 19 engravings, 10 are human figures, including one of a baby. Most figures reflect hunting activities. Among the numerous figures at the site, a female figure stands apart. “It was engraved with special care and on the right side of the belly a cup-mark is seen. On the left side over the head, a rectangular cup-mark was created. This forces us to believe that the figure could have had some religious significance,” the professor said.

“These hunting scenes and associated assemblages clearly indicate that the site must have had some connection to the hunter and gatherer culture from the Mesolithic Period. It’s difficult to date the rock art. However, Dr A Sundara, a retired archaeology professor from Shivamogga has suggested they are from the Mesolithic age, from 10,000-3,000 BC,’’ Prof Murugeshi said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 26th, 2019