Silent Rock\'s an Eloquent Testimony: Rock Art Heritage of Odisha

Contents:  Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Odisha: the land, the people and brief history. 3. Rock art of Odisha. 4. Material culture of rock shelters. 5. Interpretation of rock art. 6. Conservation of rock art. 7. Conclusion. References.

Rock art, as one of our precious surviving art treasures is a vital archaeological source to study and analyse the cognitive evolution of the human intellect across the world. This volume is significant in a way that it addresses new ways for rock art research. It opens a new chapter in the history of studying the prehistoric and tribal art, with ample scope for the collaboration of archaeology with its allied and interdisciplinary subjects. The author tries to approach rock art with a view to reconstruct the lifestyle and environment of the people who created this art. This volume is mainly based on the decades of personal research of the author and the multidisciplinary documentation conducted by the IGNCA under his able guidance in the area. The documentation of rock art in Odisha well planned in a phased manner as the area to be covered was vast and the access to rock art sites was very difficult. This book is rich in illustrations with colour photographs, maps, line drawings etc. (jacket)