Rock Art of South India : With Special Reference to Andhra Pradesh/N. Chandramouli. Delhi, Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, 2002, xiv, 214 p., figs., 21 plates, $72. ISBN 81-86050-84-1.

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Environmental setting. 3. The sites and the rock art. 4. Comparisons and correlations. 5. Interpretation. 6. Summary and conclusions. Bibliography. Index.

"Rock art studies in South India are few and far between. The huge corpus of rock art has not been systematically documented, studied and analyzed. This book fills up the lacuna to a certain extent.

"This book constitutes the first comprehensive micro level study of rock art of Andhra Pradesh both at an intra site and inter site levels. In addition, the other rock art traditions of South India particularly of Karnataka and Tamilnadu are also studied from a comparative/analogical perspective. This is necessary not only to highlight the characteristic and exclusive traits of the rock art of Andhra Pradesh, but also to understand the cultural contacts between various regions reflected in the rock art forms and themes. An attempt has also been made to understand the motives behind the rock depictions in the light of various theories of interpretation.

"Although the tradition of rock art is a pan-Indian phenomena since prehistoric times down to the present (in certain tribal pockets of the country) there are glaring differences between the rock art traditions of North India, South India and Andhra Pradesh. These differences manifest in stylistic rendering and use of various forms in rock art. These are highlighted in this work to show that an understanding of regional peculiarities in rock art forms the necessary base for any pan Indian study of rock art." (jacket)

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