More Rock Art Paintings From Tamilnadu, India
The Archeological Survey of India recently discovered about 400-odd cup marks known as petroglyphs in a hill site in Pudukottai in Tamilnadu, India. These are similar to the World Heritage Sites discovered by UNESCO in Madhya Pradesh. In the present discovery, some rock paintings and stone beds were discovered. Stone tools were used here to carve the symbols, maybe man’s earliest artistic and creative manifestation. These marks may belong to the Mesolithic culture between 3000 BC and 5000 BC though precise studies are still undergoing. These marks could either be religious or symbolic expressions of that period. They are a few millimeters in depth and width and have a smooth finish.
The Survey team discovered three natural caves. While one had a five-line Brahmi script inscription, the other two caves had Jain stone beds known locally as the “samanar padukkai” presumably used by the Jain preachers. Lime powder mixed in water was used for the painting.
The exciting discovery has prompted the Rock Art Society of India (RASI) to get scientific dating of these findings from the International Federation of Rock Art Organization (IFRAO).
Source: Times of India, March 23, 2009
Showing posts with label Discoveries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discoveries. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Peru’s Machu Picchu
A great city indeed!
One of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu the “Lost City of the Incas” was recently included this in the World Heritage list by UNESCO.
Peru was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world. This city was built by an Incan ruler more than 600 years ago. The Machu Picchu pre-Columbian Inca site is located high in the Andes Mountains in Peru about 8000 feet above sea level and lies 43 miles northwest of Cuzco at the top of a ridge high above the Urubamba river. The ruins were rediscovered intact quite accidentally in 1911 by the Yale archeologist Professor Hiram Bingham. Its aesthetic and archeological values add importance to this ancient city. This site is believed to be a religious retreat and a royal estate because of the discovery of multiple temples and various religious articles.
There are about 200 buildings discovered here, mostly residences, some temples, storage facilities, and other public buildings. A population of about 1200 or so was believed to have inhabited this city at that time. Granite constructions are seen here. Potatoes and maize were cultivated by the inhabitants.
This city served as an astronomical observatory Intihuatana, which means for “tying the sun’ although “Hitching Post of the Sun” is also mentioned. It is a granite stone the size of a piano. This is a stone column rising from a block of stones the size of a piano. It is a precise indicator of the date of the two equinoxes and other significant celestial periods. On the 21 March and 21 September of each year, the sun stands exactly above the pillar with no shadow at all. On these days, the Incas held ceremonies at the stone when they “tied the sun” to halt its northward journey across the sky.
This is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic historic sites in the world. Increased tourists pose potential danger to this city and hence many responsible organizations advise immediate measures to arrest this trend. Together let us save this ancient city for future generations.
Source: The Young World
Image: Google
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Rock paintings from Tamilnadu, India
More rock art from India.
The Palani Hills region in Tamilandu, India is again in the news with more rock art findings belonging to the 3 B.C. to 3 A.D period. Congratulations again to the teams from the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, New Delhi and the Pondicherry University.
These paintings have been discovered in the dense lower Palani Hills range revealing scenes of devotees dancing with bow-like objects called kavadi in local language around their shoulders and carts with bullocks yoked to them. These bullock and kavadi paintings are quite unique as they have not been found elsewhere and these themes are first-time discoveries found in the villages of Mungil-Alai, veguritta-Alai and Pakaki-Alai in this area (the word alai in Tamil denoting cave occur in the Tamil Sangam literature from 3 B.C to 3 A.D. It is interesting to note that the painters here had adopted the ingenuous top approach pattern for painting the bullocks. Also found here are paintings of animals like bison, tigers, and cheetahs as well as birds like while kaolin and red ochre.
Bullock cart paintings do indicate trade between the then Pandy and the neighboring Chera kingdoms as confirmed by the Roman coins discovered near Palani and Pollachi along this trade route. No signs of human habitation were found here, which may suggest that these caves might have been used only for rituals by the Iron Age people.
It is interesting to note that more than 80 such rock painting sites are located in Tamilnadu, India by the above team.
Source: The Hindu March 6, 2009
The Palani Hills region in Tamilandu, India is again in the news with more rock art findings belonging to the 3 B.C. to 3 A.D period. Congratulations again to the teams from the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, New Delhi and the Pondicherry University.
These paintings have been discovered in the dense lower Palani Hills range revealing scenes of devotees dancing with bow-like objects called kavadi in local language around their shoulders and carts with bullocks yoked to them. These bullock and kavadi paintings are quite unique as they have not been found elsewhere and these themes are first-time discoveries found in the villages of Mungil-Alai, veguritta-Alai and Pakaki-Alai in this area (the word alai in Tamil denoting cave occur in the Tamil Sangam literature from 3 B.C to 3 A.D. It is interesting to note that the painters here had adopted the ingenuous top approach pattern for painting the bullocks. Also found here are paintings of animals like bison, tigers, and cheetahs as well as birds like while kaolin and red ochre.
Bullock cart paintings do indicate trade between the then Pandy and the neighboring Chera kingdoms as confirmed by the Roman coins discovered near Palani and Pollachi along this trade route. No signs of human habitation were found here, which may suggest that these caves might have been used only for rituals by the Iron Age people.
It is interesting to note that more than 80 such rock painting sites are located in Tamilnadu, India by the above team.
Source: The Hindu March 6, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Prehistoric fish fossil find in Australia
Fish fossil points to origin of sex.
Yes, study of the 365 million-year-old prehistoric placoderm fish fossil from western Australia provides enough clues to the origin of sex. A pregnant fish fossil, the placoderm armor-plated variety that vanished from earth long back had a five-centimeter-long embryo. This embryo was earlier believed to be the remains of a meal by London's Natural History Museum, but now it is reported to be tiny bones of a young fish from two adult species of arthrodires (Incisoscutum ritchiei) in the womb of its mother. This finding now leads the scientists to believe that this fish might have reproduced by internal fertilization as against the earlier belief among the scientists that this placoderm created babies by mixing sperm and eggs in water. Reproduction, internal fertilization and live births had occurred often and earlier than previously thought. The pelvic fins of the fish had large claspers, which are intermittent erectile organs to assist the male to grip the female during mating. In most vertebrates including humans, the pelvic girdle supports the hind legs, but in fish it supports the pelvic fin, which helps stabilize them in the water. Placoderms are among the most primitive jawed vertebrates; they became extinct by the end of the Devonian or the “The Age of Fish” succeeded in evolution by the tetrapods.
Another live birth of a placoderm fossil from the Gogo formation of western Australia was reported last year.
Source: BBC News
Image: BBC News
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Titanoboa Cerrejonensis snake
New discoveries of fossils throw more light on the evolution of life on the earth. The latest in the series is the stunning discovery of the fossilized remains of the greatest snake that is believed to have roamed the earth some 60 million years ago! . They snacked on crocodiles! This was found in the Cerrejon's mine.
This snake, a boa-like behemoth called Titanoboa existed in the tropical rainforests of Columbia. Judged by its vertebra, this snake is estimated to have weighed between 703 kg and 2.03 tonnes and measured in length in the range of 10.64-15 meters. Experts say that these snakes survived at a time when the earth's temperature was six to eight degrees warmer than it is today. This means that the tropical rainforests thus could exist safely at higher temperatures, which is a new finding indeed. Looks like the effects of global warming on todays' ecology warrant more accurate and/or corrective studies in the light of this great discovery.
What has Jonathan Block, the paleontologist at the University of Florida to say about this snake? He says the snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie Anaconda is smaller than the latest find.
This snake, a boa-like behemoth called Titanoboa existed in the tropical rainforests of Columbia. Judged by its vertebra, this snake is estimated to have weighed between 703 kg and 2.03 tonnes and measured in length in the range of 10.64-15 meters. Experts say that these snakes survived at a time when the earth's temperature was six to eight degrees warmer than it is today. This means that the tropical rainforests thus could exist safely at higher temperatures, which is a new finding indeed. Looks like the effects of global warming on todays' ecology warrant more accurate and/or corrective studies in the light of this great discovery.
What has Jonathan Block, the paleontologist at the University of Florida to say about this snake? He says the snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie Anaconda is smaller than the latest find.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Rock Art from Palani Hills, Tamilnadu, India
Rock Art in Palani Hills, Tamilnadu, India.
Amateur archaeologists have discovered rock arts dating back to 2000 BC, located at about 1000 feet in Nedamalai Hills range about 30 km from Palani, Tamilnadu, India.
Drawn using animal fat and herbal colors in two panels. One, a hunter leading his followers. One man riding on an animal, a man with an axe in his hand, and a man rowing a river, which is believed to be Kuthiraiyaru river there. The herbal color has flowed down and only the animal fat remains intact, and this gives the painting an aschen color.
The other cave has seven blood lines in red lined depicting “ezhu kannimargal” (seven virgins) highlighted by ancient Tamils. The pots found here could belong to the last megalithic age about 1000 BC, which could mean that this cave was a continuous habitat by man. Neolithic also have been found here.
Comments from the Archeological Survey of India mention the age of these rocks at around 2000 BC.
Source: Times of India, January 19, 2009
Google Images
Amateur archaeologists have discovered rock arts dating back to 2000 BC, located at about 1000 feet in Nedamalai Hills range about 30 km from Palani, Tamilnadu, India.
Drawn using animal fat and herbal colors in two panels. One, a hunter leading his followers. One man riding on an animal, a man with an axe in his hand, and a man rowing a river, which is believed to be Kuthiraiyaru river there. The herbal color has flowed down and only the animal fat remains intact, and this gives the painting an aschen color.
The other cave has seven blood lines in red lined depicting “ezhu kannimargal” (seven virgins) highlighted by ancient Tamils. The pots found here could belong to the last megalithic age about 1000 BC, which could mean that this cave was a continuous habitat by man. Neolithic also have been found here.
Comments from the Archeological Survey of India mention the age of these rocks at around 2000 BC.
Source: Times of India, January 19, 2009
Google Images
UFOs
Unidentified flying object (UFO) refer to any unidentified flying phenomenon in the sky. Experts say UFOs hover around the epicenter of major natural calamities. An UFO was noted in Mumbai, India on August 28, 2008. Though seen by many in the sky, it is a mystery why they have not landed and established any contact with us. Probably aliens in UFOs may provide useful answers to most of our pressing problems like the global warming as they may have a far superior technology.
When there was a Tsunami attack in India in December 2004, several people in Tamilnadu, Andaman and Nicobar Island, and Indonesia reported sighting strange objects in the sky. Some believe these are warnings of the impending calamity while others feel that the UFOs stimulate calamities. No scientific proof for these beliefs so far.
The French Space agency will shortly publish UFO and other similar sightings
Astronauts and test pilots of NASA have testified to sighting several UFOS during their missions. The first report by Joseph Walker, NASA pilot in 1962 mentions an encounter with two disc-shaped objects. He had filmed five cylindrical and disc-shaped objects were filmed from his X-15 aircraft.
Two years later in 1964, two radar specialists sighted UFOs while monitoring unmanned Gemini capsule. They showed a film showing a missile separating and an UFO appearing on their screen. Interestingly, the Gemini was fitted with instruments to track such UFOs.
Since then, several UFO sighting are being reported almost regularly by NASA.
Russian cosmonauts too have reported sighting UFOSs.
However, scientific stamp is still warranted to make them believalbe for the common man.
Source: Google
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Unknown rock-shelters of India
Historic rock-shelters of India.
Hundreds of sites in jungles, caves, hills, and dolmen are being brought to limelight through a project by the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts. Several specialists such as archeologist, artist, geographers, geologists, art historians, botanists, anthropologists are involved in this project. Folklore experts are also included in this gigantic team.
The project studies the damages caused by time, nature, and vandals. The study is already over in Jarkhand and Orissa. It is underway in Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh, Madhya Prqadesh, and Jammu&Kashmir.
More specifically, in Tamil Nadu, this project is being undertaken in collaboration with the University of Pondicherry under the able guidance of Dr. K. Rajan, Professor and Head, Department of History.
This team has already inspected the sites in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, and in Palani Hills, it is expected to be over soon. More than 80 sites are to be studied in Tamil Nadu.
Most of sites in Tamil Nadu reveal paintings in rock-shelters (caverns) and Iron Age dolmens (about 1000 BC). Some are with Jaina beds.
These paintings depict hunting scenes, battle scenes, horse-riding, as well as animals like deer, elephant, bison, and also decorative motifs.
Source: The Hindu dated January 27, 2009
Hundreds of sites in jungles, caves, hills, and dolmen are being brought to limelight through a project by the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts. Several specialists such as archeologist, artist, geographers, geologists, art historians, botanists, anthropologists are involved in this project. Folklore experts are also included in this gigantic team.
The project studies the damages caused by time, nature, and vandals. The study is already over in Jarkhand and Orissa. It is underway in Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh, Madhya Prqadesh, and Jammu&Kashmir.
More specifically, in Tamil Nadu, this project is being undertaken in collaboration with the University of Pondicherry under the able guidance of Dr. K. Rajan, Professor and Head, Department of History.
This team has already inspected the sites in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, and in Palani Hills, it is expected to be over soon. More than 80 sites are to be studied in Tamil Nadu.
Most of sites in Tamil Nadu reveal paintings in rock-shelters (caverns) and Iron Age dolmens (about 1000 BC). Some are with Jaina beds.
These paintings depict hunting scenes, battle scenes, horse-riding, as well as animals like deer, elephant, bison, and also decorative motifs.
Source: The Hindu dated January 27, 2009
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The Living Fossil
Wollemi National Park in Australia discovered a pine tree in a 1994. The discoverer is David Noble.
What is so strange about this tree?
The species was believed to be extinct, but the recent finding comes as a surprise. Archeologists had only seen its fossils dating back to the age of the dinosaurs, and hence the fossil came be called the dinosaur tree. This is genus of a deciduous coniferous tree in the family of Araucariaceae, which means it sheds its leaves in winter. The trunk of the tree is very attractive and looks like a bubbling chocolate.
The oldest fossil of this tree is 90 millions years old. The tree can well survive in temperatures ranging from -12 degrees to 45 degrees celsius. Unfortunately, there are less than 100 trees only now surviving.
So is it not our duty to protect them?
Courtesy. The Hindu Young World January 27, 2009.
Image source: Google Images
Chinese cave house.
Jinghe river in Shanxi Province of China is in the news today with the discovery of a row of 17 cave houses built between 3500 BC and 3000 BC. Reportedly these houses belong to the late Neolithic culture called Yangshao that originated in the reaches of the Yellow river. Pottery with painted patterns is noted to be the chief profession here during that time.
Each house measured about 10 sq. meters with some made of wood and mud. Pottery kilns were discovered as also pottery wares in each house, and so the houses belonged to pottery makers. In earlier discoveries, one kiln was found for a group of houses. Presence of potters also indicates division of labor. Storage of pottery in cave-houses also indicates private ownership in ancient China. One moat was also discovered here now.
Each house measured about 10 sq. meters with some made of wood and mud. Pottery kilns were discovered as also pottery wares in each house, and so the houses belonged to pottery makers. In earlier discoveries, one kiln was found for a group of houses. Presence of potters also indicates division of labor. Storage of pottery in cave-houses also indicates private ownership in ancient China. One moat was also discovered here now.
Source: The Hindu January 27, 2009, Chennai, India.
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