Rock Art in the Old World

Rock Art in the Old World is an invaluable documentation of what is probably the first manifestation of the creative urge of man. It consists of selected papers from the World Congress of Rock Art held in Darwin in 1988. For the first time rock art of very broad geographical regions covering the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe have been dealt within one book. Little known traditions such as the panorama of Chinese art and that of the former Soviet Union have been studied. Samples of rock art identified only recently have been described. The papers presented in this volume are convincing proof of the importance of the study of Rock Art, both for archaeology as also ethnology and lifestyle studies. The vast spectrum shows that although there has been a history of research on Rock Art, as a young discipline it is exploring various avenues of growth. Several of the papers indicate the extensive research carried out in India. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is a premier institution pursuing Rock Art research in a universal context. One important component of its programme is the establishment of the gallery of primeval sight called Adi Drsya, dedicated to everything that is understood by the word palaeo-art. This unique volume is the first in the IGNCA series of Rock Art Studies. It is meant for wide ranging specialists and students interested in human history and art.