World Heritage Identification Number: 925
World Heritage since: 2003
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇳 India
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka: A Window into Prehistoric India
The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, nestled in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains, offer a unique glimpse into the rich prehistoric past of India. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, these rock shelters span various periods, from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic eras to the historic period. Located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, approximately 45 kilometers southeast of Bhopal, the site comprises seven hills and over 750 rock shelters spread across a 10-kilometer area.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period. The cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the twenty-one villages adjacent to the site bear a strong resemblance to those represented in the rock paintings.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): Bhimbetka reflects a long interaction between people and the landscape, as demonstrated in the quantity and quality of its rock art. Criterion (v): Bhimbetka is closely associated with a hunting and gathering economy as demonstrated in the rock art and in the relicts of this tradition in the local adivasi villages on the periphery of this site.
Encyclopedia Record: Bhimbetka rock shelters
The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period. It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of the Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulean times. It is located in the Raisen district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) south-east of Bhopal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters distributed over 10 km (6.2 mi). At least some of the shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago.Additional Site Details
Area: 1,893 hectares
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 22.92777778 , 77.58333333
Image
© Raveesh Vyas, CC BY-SA 2.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
