Bhimbetka, Auditorium Cave, Madhya Pradesh: Acheulian Petroglyph Site, c. 200,000 - 500,000 BP / q)bmbcrhead

Tentative Interpretation (James Harrod): Here is a close up of the 'head' of the 'elephant'. As I suggest in the previous image, that the Acheulian artisans who placed the cupules on Chief's Rock may have seen the rock as a figuration of one or even two elephants. The larger 'elephant' appears to have a flake removed to create the eye. The trunk appears to be flaked. If the flaking is purely natural, it certainly is a remarkable example of nature's art. The trunk has the typical S curve of elephant trunks as depicted on many Early and Middle Paleolithic stone sculptures (see e.g., Pampau gallery 5). The smaller 'elephant' appears to have two flakes removed to represent its eyes. One might want to examine further to see if one or the other is not a cupule?

Photo © James Harrod or as otherwise noted. All James Harrod site photos taken on tour of Bhimbetka, International Rock Art Congress - 2004, Rock Art Society of India, 12/4/2004. This gallery first posted 10/13/2006.