Interpreting the Activity Area Pattern and Thematic Relative Cultural Chronology of the Rock Art Landscape of Jhiri, Madhya Pradesh, India

Shubham Rajak1,2*, Manoj Kumar Kurmi3, Shivam Dubey4, Rutwij Apte5, Aasif Moin Shaikh5, and Pavanteja R6

With the evolution of archaeological methodologies, GIS, 3D, and VR documentation techniques are transforming rock art studies, enabling researchers to move beyond descriptive research, preserve rock art sites, and understand their relationship with the surrounding landscape. The present research documented 48 painted rock shelters and the surrounding landscape of Jhiri village, Madhya Pradesh, using 3D photogrammetry, LiDAR, and Virtual Reality methods. These virtual data on rock art helped to quantify the thematic chronology of rock art depictions and the superimposition of motifs on rock surfaces. The quantified data on the rock art depictions, chronology and thematic interpretation are amalgamated with the spatial context of the rock shelter. This approach helped to interpret the preference for rock shelter selection by early humans. Further, the cumulative viewshed analysis (CVA) helped interpret the spatial and behavioural dimensions of the rock shelter sites in relation to surrounding water bodies, natural springs, and probable hunting grounds. This study demonstrates that the concentration of rock shelters and caves in Area A3 of Jhiri constituted a preferred landscape from the Middle Palaeolithic onwards, owing to favourable topographic conditions, access to natural resources, and an expansive viewshed.