4,000-year-old new Stone Age cave paintings discovered

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Stone paintings, dating back to 4,000 years to the new Stone Age, were discovered by a group from the Tiruvannamalai Center for Historical Research, sources said.

The five-member team led by center’s secretary Balamurugan visited the Nallaan Pillai Petraal village near Vettavalam on the border of Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts recently. The rock paintings and sculptures were discovered in a natural cave at the base of Sivamalai in the area, Balamurugan said.

The images included bulls, deer and man in various postures and contexts and were painted on both the top of the cave and the lower levels. As the findings were rare and as they pertained to an age about which present day knowledge is still not total, Balamurugan said the site should be safeguarded and preserved while a search should be made in the area to see if similar rock/cave paintings existed.