Historic art forms found in caves (June 15,2007, Young World)
CHANDAN SEN
Some cave paintings found in Bundi have been dated to the Solutrian Meglelian period.
Photo: Chandan Sen Heritage: Rock painting in Gararda.
In Bundi you can see pre-historic art in two forms — cave paintings and rock shelters. The cave paintings date back from 30,000 to 20,000 years (Solutrian Meglelian age) and 20000 to 10000 years (Aurgnahan Paragarhon age). There are similar caves at Altamira, Frant de game and Lasko and Troyfares. In India, almost all pre-historic paintings are seen in rock shelters.
In the rural areas
Rock paintings have been found near the river /rivulet on rocks and caves in the district . The colours for these paintings were derived from powdered rocks or coloured earth found in and around these places. The prominent colours used were ochre, tan, dark red , white and yellow and purple. The paintings of the mesolithic period show animals — bison, tiger, dogs and antelopes, armies, hunting scenes, lakes, and scenes from daily life, dancing, swords, flags, herd of deer and so on.
The style of the painting suggests it could be 20,000 to 30,000 years old. The Naldah, Gararda, Golpur rock painting sites are undoubtedly the best sites discovered so far. The collection includes microlithic tools, fishing tools from the copper age, stone age arrow heads and many small interesting items from the historic period.
Historic rock painting sites have been discovered in the rural areas of Bundi. Unfortunately in some sites stone mining has been going on destroying many paintings. Other locations are also under threat because of lack of identification and protection.
Gararda is bigger in size and has around three dozen caves housing the rock paintings. The prominent theme in these paintings are the bird rider and geometric designs.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Modern humans reached India earlier
Modern Humans reached India early
Evidence found in excavations by international team of scientists at Jwalapuram in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
(The Hindu, July 12th 2007.)
In the coure of archaeological excavations at Jwalapuram in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, an international team of scientists has found evidence that anatomically modern human beings have reached India before a massive volcanic eruption in what is today Indonesia occurred tens of thousands of years ago.
“Super– eruption”
The “super-eruption” of the Toba volcano in Sumatra 74,000 years ago was the largest volcanic event to have occurred in the last two million years and the ash thrown up high into the atmosphere by that cataclysmic explosion reached India too, said Ravi Korisettar of the Department of History and Archaeology at Karnatak University in Dharwad, Karnataka.
During five years of excavations at Jwalapuram, Indian, British and Australian scientists unearthed fine stone flakes that had been turned into tools for various purposes.
The stone tools were to be found in layers of earth above as well as below the fine ash from the Toba super-eruption, the scientists noted in a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Science.
“Volcanic Winter”
It had been thought that the vast amounts of volcanic ash flung into the atmosphere by the eruption could have blocked the sun light and produced a “Volcanic winter” that decimated the humans living then. But the evidence from the Jwalapuram excavations, however, suggest that the volcanic eruption did not have such a catastrophic impact on the early human population there.
Stone Tools
The stone tools also pointed to a more exciting possibility. The stone tool assemblages found in jwalapuram were “ very similar to ones that we see produced in Africa at the same time”’ said Michael Petragila of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary studies at the University of Cambridge in the UK, the first author of the paper.
These stone tools in Africa had been produced by modern humans.
“Closer affinities”
In the science paper, the researchers noted that the techniques used for making the stone tools at Jwalapuram suggested “closer affinities” to African middle stone Ages traditions than to contemporaneous Eurasian ones. This finding is significant because genetic studies of telltale patterns in the DNA of people living in various parts of the world have supported the view that all modern humans arose in Africa.
It is believed that these modern humans probably dispersed from Africa into India at a very early date, earlier than anyone has suggested before”’ Dr.Petraglia told this correspondent.
There is a hypothesis that modern humans could have taken the “southern route of dispersal,” utilising the coastlines to travel from Africa, through Arabia, across the Indian subcontinent and then into South –East Asia and finally into Australia, he said. The presence of modern humans in India at the time of the Toba super-erection would be consistent with humans having used the southern route, but would remain speculative till further excavations were carried out in the Indian subcontinent and Arabian peninsula, remarked the scientists in their journal paper.
Key role
India has played a key role in the migration of modern humans out of Africa, says K.Thangaraj of the Centre fr Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad. In a paper published in science two years ago, Dr. Thangaraj and others held that genetic lineages to be found among Andaman islanders supported an out-of-Africa migration by modern humans some 500,000 to 70,000 years ago.
Archaeological data
Dr. Korisettar is, however, sceptical about modern humans opting for a coastal route for their migration.
There was currently no archaeological evidence of such ancient human migrations along India’s west coast and into southern Tamil Nadu. Rather, the available archaeological data favoured a continental route through the Bolan and Khyber passes to the north-western parts of the Indian subcontinent and then into Rajasthan before dispersing to other parts of the country, he added. N.Gopal Raj. To Bhimbetka Rock shelters Geography.....
Evidence found in excavations by international team of scientists at Jwalapuram in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
(The Hindu, July 12th 2007.)
In the coure of archaeological excavations at Jwalapuram in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, an international team of scientists has found evidence that anatomically modern human beings have reached India before a massive volcanic eruption in what is today Indonesia occurred tens of thousands of years ago.
“Super– eruption”
The “super-eruption” of the Toba volcano in Sumatra 74,000 years ago was the largest volcanic event to have occurred in the last two million years and the ash thrown up high into the atmosphere by that cataclysmic explosion reached India too, said Ravi Korisettar of the Department of History and Archaeology at Karnatak University in Dharwad, Karnataka.
During five years of excavations at Jwalapuram, Indian, British and Australian scientists unearthed fine stone flakes that had been turned into tools for various purposes.
The stone tools were to be found in layers of earth above as well as below the fine ash from the Toba super-eruption, the scientists noted in a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Science.
“Volcanic Winter”
It had been thought that the vast amounts of volcanic ash flung into the atmosphere by the eruption could have blocked the sun light and produced a “Volcanic winter” that decimated the humans living then. But the evidence from the Jwalapuram excavations, however, suggest that the volcanic eruption did not have such a catastrophic impact on the early human population there.
Stone Tools
The stone tools also pointed to a more exciting possibility. The stone tool assemblages found in jwalapuram were “ very similar to ones that we see produced in Africa at the same time”’ said Michael Petragila of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary studies at the University of Cambridge in the UK, the first author of the paper.
These stone tools in Africa had been produced by modern humans.
“Closer affinities”
In the science paper, the researchers noted that the techniques used for making the stone tools at Jwalapuram suggested “closer affinities” to African middle stone Ages traditions than to contemporaneous Eurasian ones. This finding is significant because genetic studies of telltale patterns in the DNA of people living in various parts of the world have supported the view that all modern humans arose in Africa.
It is believed that these modern humans probably dispersed from Africa into India at a very early date, earlier than anyone has suggested before”’ Dr.Petraglia told this correspondent.
There is a hypothesis that modern humans could have taken the “southern route of dispersal,” utilising the coastlines to travel from Africa, through Arabia, across the Indian subcontinent and then into South –East Asia and finally into Australia, he said. The presence of modern humans in India at the time of the Toba super-erection would be consistent with humans having used the southern route, but would remain speculative till further excavations were carried out in the Indian subcontinent and Arabian peninsula, remarked the scientists in their journal paper.
Key role
India has played a key role in the migration of modern humans out of Africa, says K.Thangaraj of the Centre fr Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad. In a paper published in science two years ago, Dr. Thangaraj and others held that genetic lineages to be found among Andaman islanders supported an out-of-Africa migration by modern humans some 500,000 to 70,000 years ago.
Archaeological data
Dr. Korisettar is, however, sceptical about modern humans opting for a coastal route for their migration.
There was currently no archaeological evidence of such ancient human migrations along India’s west coast and into southern Tamil Nadu. Rather, the available archaeological data favoured a continental route through the Bolan and Khyber passes to the north-western parts of the Indian subcontinent and then into Rajasthan before dispersing to other parts of the country, he added. N.Gopal Raj. To Bhimbetka Rock shelters Geography.....
Friday, July 6, 2007
Lobbying or not Taj Mahal will never loose its sheen
Lobbying or not, Taj Mahal will never lose its sheen (The Hindu,July 06,2007)
Current campaign for inclusion in seven wonders’ list not approved by UNESCO
Country being misled by campaign with commercial interests
PIL planned against the Central Government’s silence on the issue
HYDERABAD: Taj Mahal will not lose its status if the lovers of the magnificent edifice don’t vote for it for a place in the new Seven Wonders of the World. The reason is simple – the present campaign launched by a private organisation doesn’t have the backing of UNESCO.
World heritage status
Taj Mahal has already been given the world heritage status in 1983 and no private or public opinion can snatch that status away from it. In fact, UNESCO has posted a note on its website (http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/352) detaching itself from the present campaign. “In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO’s World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning ‘The New 7 Wonders of the World’, the posting on the UNESCO website reads. The posting on the website points out it was not a party to the ‘private initiative’ launched in 2000 by Bernard Weber.
Heritage lovers are annoyed that the country is being misled by a private campaign and the Government is silent on the issue when the sentiments of people are being exploited. “It is a purely private affair done for monetary and personal gains,” says N. Raghunandan Kumar, General Secretary, Planetary Society of India. “Unfortunately, people believe that the campaign has the Government backing and are proud of voting spending money that would go to a private organisation,” he says.
Big money
Heritage lovers say millions of Indians have voted for Taj Mahal using various modes and the kind of money generated is mind-boggling and none of this would be spent for preservation of the heritage sites. It is believed that the organisation has launched the campaign in the country spending Rs. 70 crore.
“Their commercial interests are very clear, but people are not aware of it,” says a heritage lover. He feels that heritage value cannot be defined with people’s sentiments and it is very clear in the UNESCO’s objectives also.
In fact, the note posted on the UNESCO also says that its mandate is to assist countries in identifying, protecting and preserving World Heritage. Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough. The task is one of technical conservation and political persuasion.
There is also a clear educational role with respect to the sites’ inherent value, the threats they face and what must be done to prevent their loss.
The Planetary Society now plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Government’s silence on the issue.
Current campaign for inclusion in seven wonders’ list not approved by UNESCO
Country being misled by campaign with commercial interests
PIL planned against the Central Government’s silence on the issue
HYDERABAD: Taj Mahal will not lose its status if the lovers of the magnificent edifice don’t vote for it for a place in the new Seven Wonders of the World. The reason is simple – the present campaign launched by a private organisation doesn’t have the backing of UNESCO.
World heritage status
Taj Mahal has already been given the world heritage status in 1983 and no private or public opinion can snatch that status away from it. In fact, UNESCO has posted a note on its website (http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/352) detaching itself from the present campaign. “In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO’s World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning ‘The New 7 Wonders of the World’, the posting on the UNESCO website reads. The posting on the website points out it was not a party to the ‘private initiative’ launched in 2000 by Bernard Weber.
Heritage lovers are annoyed that the country is being misled by a private campaign and the Government is silent on the issue when the sentiments of people are being exploited. “It is a purely private affair done for monetary and personal gains,” says N. Raghunandan Kumar, General Secretary, Planetary Society of India. “Unfortunately, people believe that the campaign has the Government backing and are proud of voting spending money that would go to a private organisation,” he says.
Big money
Heritage lovers say millions of Indians have voted for Taj Mahal using various modes and the kind of money generated is mind-boggling and none of this would be spent for preservation of the heritage sites. It is believed that the organisation has launched the campaign in the country spending Rs. 70 crore.
“Their commercial interests are very clear, but people are not aware of it,” says a heritage lover. He feels that heritage value cannot be defined with people’s sentiments and it is very clear in the UNESCO’s objectives also.
In fact, the note posted on the UNESCO also says that its mandate is to assist countries in identifying, protecting and preserving World Heritage. Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough. The task is one of technical conservation and political persuasion.
There is also a clear educational role with respect to the sites’ inherent value, the threats they face and what must be done to prevent their loss.
The Planetary Society now plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Government’s silence on the issue.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
How to Cash in on Your Scrapbooking Expertise
How to Cash in on Your Scrapbooking Expertise
(ARA) - Move over Tiger Woods! Scrapbooking has recently become more popular than golf, according to the Craft and Hobby Association.
With one in three households containing a scrapbooker, the hobby, which involves preserving a legacy of written history through photographs, memorabilia and embellishments, has grown rapidly since its modern debut in the early 1980s.
As part of a nationwide challenge in creativity, The Skinny Cow brand, maker of low-fat ice cream snacks, is inviting “scrappers” across the country to share their snipped, stamped and stenciled memories. The contest involves creating a layout with two photos, a title, at least one accent or embellishment, and a journalizing block to bring the page to life. “Croppers” have until midnight on July 31, 2007, to submit their entries in one of the following categories:
* Best “Girls Nite Out” Page: From movie nights to book clubs and happy hours, memories are always made when good friends come together for an evening of fun!
* Best “Crop Party” Page: Scrapbooking and parties go together like glitter and glue! If your scrapbooking get-togethers go down in history, be sure to preserve the memories with an amazing visual display of all the good times.
* Best “Scrapbook Convention” Page: Croppers across the country convene to refine skills and creativity – and not to mention, scrapbook!
The top 150 contest entries will be judged by a panel of “celebrity scrapbookers” from Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks magazines. The grand prize winner will be crowned “Queen of the Crop,” and receive a trip for four to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Three first prize winners (one per category) will receive a digital camera and photo printer package, and 30 second prize winners (10 per category) will receive a year’s supply of The Skinny Cow frozen treats.
For additional contest information, a complete list of the rules, and to fill out an entry form, visit
(ARA) - Move over Tiger Woods! Scrapbooking has recently become more popular than golf, according to the Craft and Hobby Association.
With one in three households containing a scrapbooker, the hobby, which involves preserving a legacy of written history through photographs, memorabilia and embellishments, has grown rapidly since its modern debut in the early 1980s.
As part of a nationwide challenge in creativity, The Skinny Cow brand, maker of low-fat ice cream snacks, is inviting “scrappers” across the country to share their snipped, stamped and stenciled memories. The contest involves creating a layout with two photos, a title, at least one accent or embellishment, and a journalizing block to bring the page to life. “Croppers” have until midnight on July 31, 2007, to submit their entries in one of the following categories:
* Best “Girls Nite Out” Page: From movie nights to book clubs and happy hours, memories are always made when good friends come together for an evening of fun!
* Best “Crop Party” Page: Scrapbooking and parties go together like glitter and glue! If your scrapbooking get-togethers go down in history, be sure to preserve the memories with an amazing visual display of all the good times.
* Best “Scrapbook Convention” Page: Croppers across the country convene to refine skills and creativity – and not to mention, scrapbook!
The top 150 contest entries will be judged by a panel of “celebrity scrapbookers” from Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks magazines. The grand prize winner will be crowned “Queen of the Crop,” and receive a trip for four to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Three first prize winners (one per category) will receive a digital camera and photo printer package, and 30 second prize winners (10 per category) will receive a year’s supply of The Skinny Cow frozen treats.
For additional contest information, a complete list of the rules, and to fill out an entry form, visit
How to Cash in on Your Scrapbooking Expertise
(ARA) - Move over Tiger Woods! Scrapbooking has recently become more popular than golf, according to the Craft and Hobby Association.
With one in three households containing a scrapbooker, the hobby, which involves preserving a legacy of written history through photographs, memorabilia and embellishments, has grown rapidly since its modern debut in the early 1980s.
As part of a nationwide challenge in creativity, The Skinny Cow brand, maker of low-fat ice cream snacks, is inviting “scrappers” across the country to share their snipped, stamped and stenciled memories. The contest involves creating a layout with two photos, a title, at least one accent or embellishment, and a journalizing block to bring the page to life. “Croppers” have until midnight on July 31, 2007, to submit their entries in one of the following categories:
* Best “Girls Nite Out” Page: From movie nights to book clubs and happy hours, memories are always made when good friends come together for an evening of fun!
* Best “Crop Party” Page: Scrapbooking and parties go together like glitter and glue! If your scrapbooking get-togethers go down in history, be sure to preserve the memories with an amazing visual display of all the good times.
* Best “Scrapbook Convention” Page: Croppers across the country convene to refine skills and creativity – and not to mention, scrapbook!
The top 150 contest entries will be judged by a panel of “celebrity scrapbookers” from Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks magazines. The grand prize winner will be crowned “Queen of the Crop,” and receive a trip for four to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Three first prize winners (one per category) will receive a digital camera and photo printer package, and 30 second prize winners (10 per category) will receive a year’s supply of The Skinny Cow frozen treats.
For additional contest information, a complete list of the rules, and to fill out an entry form, visit
(ARA) - Move over Tiger Woods! Scrapbooking has recently become more popular than golf, according to the Craft and Hobby Association.
With one in three households containing a scrapbooker, the hobby, which involves preserving a legacy of written history through photographs, memorabilia and embellishments, has grown rapidly since its modern debut in the early 1980s.
As part of a nationwide challenge in creativity, The Skinny Cow brand, maker of low-fat ice cream snacks, is inviting “scrappers” across the country to share their snipped, stamped and stenciled memories. The contest involves creating a layout with two photos, a title, at least one accent or embellishment, and a journalizing block to bring the page to life. “Croppers” have until midnight on July 31, 2007, to submit their entries in one of the following categories:
* Best “Girls Nite Out” Page: From movie nights to book clubs and happy hours, memories are always made when good friends come together for an evening of fun!
* Best “Crop Party” Page: Scrapbooking and parties go together like glitter and glue! If your scrapbooking get-togethers go down in history, be sure to preserve the memories with an amazing visual display of all the good times.
* Best “Scrapbook Convention” Page: Croppers across the country convene to refine skills and creativity – and not to mention, scrapbook!
The top 150 contest entries will be judged by a panel of “celebrity scrapbookers” from Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks magazines. The grand prize winner will be crowned “Queen of the Crop,” and receive a trip for four to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Three first prize winners (one per category) will receive a digital camera and photo printer package, and 30 second prize winners (10 per category) will receive a year’s supply of The Skinny Cow frozen treats.
For additional contest information, a complete list of the rules, and to fill out an entry form, visit
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