Much before the great river valley civilisations took root in the flood plains of the Ganga and Yamuna, the Chalcolithic cultures had grown in the river valleys of the Central India and Deccan. These cultures of the copper age flourished primarily along the river valleys of the Narmada, the Chambal and Son and their tributaries. These Chalcolithic people were illiterate. There is no evidence of any written script. The only decipherable records of this civilisation are the pottery paintings on the sherds of broken earthen ware discovered at many of these ancient sites. These simple and elegant paintings open up an ethno-universe of surprising diversity and vibrance. They present a fascinating glimpse into those ancient tribal cultures. Dr. Datta, has carried out a fascinating study of these Chalcolithic pottery paintings. She has painstakingly compiled a compendium of the various motifs, designs of human and animal figures encountered in these paintings, and has analysed and classified them in detail. She discovered regional stylistic variations and unique creative expressions that characterised the paintings found in each river valley. The paintings of the Navdatoli sites are so elaborate and unique in stylistic content that they may well qualify as the first distinguishable school of painting in ancient India. This book is a fascinating voyage of discovery through the aeons of time. Through her study of the Chalcolithic paintings, Dr. Datta has opened up an entire ethno-universe of great beauty and primaeval splendour.
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