Mesolithic man lived near banks of Chambal in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: New evidence has come up to show that the 7080-km stretch along the banks of Chambal River in Bundi, Kota and Bhilwara was inhabited by the Mesolithic man.
Discovered by the Bundibased amateur archaeologist, Om Prakash Sharma popularly known as Kukki, the new `relics' from the stone age marks the 100th rock painting that he has found from the area.
After a five-year `hunt' on the left banks of the river in Kholi village, Kukki discovered the hematite stone paintings which appear to narrate the stories of hunter-gatherers.
“I found these rock paintings 55km from Bundi near `Karondi Ki Khaal Naala'.The area has thick vegetation and many rock shelters.These paintings are made on rocks with white clay . The paintings reveal that the ancient man practiced shamanism, wherein a person is regarded as having access to and influence in the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits,“ said Kukki.
These are in fairly good condition as the area is not exposed to the and not easily accessible by people, he said.
The figurines and the inscription on rocks appears to be that of Mesolithic age with paintings relating to hunting weapons that seem like a spear and axe besides hunting or chasing animals.
A few days later, Kukki stumbled upon another set of rock paintings in a place called `Mendki Tol' but made with red colour on rock boulders and hanging rocks.“These were near the `Ghoda Pachad' river on the river bank which shows that primitive men inhabited this area near the river. Devoid of any vegetation, these paintings have still weathered the ravages of time. Some stone tools were also found in this place earlier. The Bhils and Banjaras still live here,“ said Kukki, who has been a rock art explorer in the three districts of Bundi, Bhilwara and Tonk from 1995. Hridesh Kumar Sharma, director, department of archaeology , confirmed that the red rock painting shows the existence of Mesolithic people in the area.
“The white rock paintings are from the prehistoric period while the red rock paintings are from the Mesolithic age,“ he said.
“Kukki has done extensive research on the heritage of the area. He has passionately worked for rock art and it's commendable that he has discovered 102 such `sites' in the area. So far, we have not worked on how to preserve them. But, soon we will prepare an action plan,“ Sharma said.