Telangana: New neolithic rock art site discovered in Siddipet district

The rock art site was discovered on a 40-foot-high rock wall near the Odela Mallanna temple hill in Ullampalli village

Hyderabad: A team from the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam discovered a new Neolithic rock art site on a 40-foot-high rock wall near the Odela Mallanna temple hill in Ullampalli village, Siddipet district.

According to the team, the rock shelter contained three rock bruisings (pecked engravings) of humped bulls across three sections of the rock wall. The team comprised Sriramoju Haragopal, BV Bhadragireesh, Ahobilam Karunakar and Mohammad Naseeruddin.

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The first aurochs figure measures over two feet in height and four feet in length, the second is two feet long and two feet high, and the third is two feet long and 1.5 feet high. Such large-scale rock bruisings are rare in Telangana, with this being only the second instance after Regonda, they said.

The depiction of aurochs with genitalia is a characteristic feature of Chalcolithic period rock art, as noted by VV Krishna Shastri, former Director of the Archaeology Department.

Similar aurochs figures were first observed in the red rock paintings of Edthanur. Experts, including Bandi Muralidhar Reddy, adviser to the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, have confirmed that these neolithic rock art engravings date back approximately 6,000 years.

The hill with the rock art site also contains neolithic polishing grooves. Near the rock art site, in front of the Mallanna temple, stands a 16-foot-high menhir (standing stone), they added.