Some Notes about  pre-historical Significance of Bhanpura

Area near Bhanpura  has long history and has been subject of pre-historical reaseach.   Daraki-Chattanâ a rock shelter within the Vindhyan mountains overviewing River Rewaâ” is situated near Bhanpura in district Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.  Daraki-Chattan region has been used as a case for the study of early petroglyphs in India.  Daraki-Chattan reveals the hoary past of the extensive rock art in this cave beyond doubt. Excavation at Daraki-Chattan was carried out by Dr Giriraj Kumar (Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra) with technical support from the Archaeological Survey of India (Bhopal Circle). The objective of excavation at Daraki-Chattan was to establish cultural stratigraphy at the site, collect evidences related to the production of cupules, obtain scientific dates concerning art objects and human artifacts, and establish geo-archaeological history of the region.

The excavation at Daraki-Chattan revealed immense information on the cultural occupation of the site. The collection of stone artifact assemblage from the excavation undoubtedly reveals that the shelter was occupied by the Acheulian man. Interestingly enough, Bhanpura town, close to the Daraki-Chattan site, and its adjoining area have been continuously under occupation by man of different cultural periods since the Acheulian times. Daraki-Chattan is a local name of a hill near village Bhanpura in the Vindhyans that has a series of rock shelters. In geological past, the Vindhyans were formed as a single rock block but were subsequently subjected to erosion by wind and water which ultimately weathered them. The joints between the rocks widened over a period of time and then blocks or rocks became unstable and collapsed to give rise to rock shelters. These shelters not only provided suitable landform for the Early Man to protect himself from the vagaries of weather but also the shelters on hills which served as an overview to the dense forest below.

The study of the surroundings of Daraki-Chattan was carried out to investigate the climatic history of the area during the times when the Acheulian man occupied the site. Study of geological sediments that were deposited when the Acheulian man was exploring the valley adjoining the shelter. It was clear from the size (width and depth) and the large collection of artifacts from the excavation that the shelter was used by the Early Man as a temporary settlement for making tools and fulfilling other necessary activities. Dense forest existing around the shelter and along the valley of River Rewa must have supported a rich wealth of fauna and flora. Excavations in the sediments deposited by River Rewa revealed a succession of prehistoric cultural material remains beginning from the Early Palaeolithic to Upper Palaeolithic era, supporting the view that the valley and the surroundings were under regular occupation by the Early Man. Pressure of stone artifacts in the shelters in the river valley also corroborate the fact that the activity of Early Man was not confined to the particular shelter only. Rich faunal and floral wealth must have encouraged the Early Man to venture into the river valleys and forests. Thus the sediments brought down by the rivers must have covered and sealed the discarded or used stone artifacts of Early Man. A lot of information has been gathered on climate that existed during the period when the sediments were formed and deposited.

The indepth study of the sediments deposited by River Rewa unraveled the palaeoclimatic history of the region. The associated assemblage of stone artifacts suggests the relative age range of 1.8 million years before present to 400,000 years before present for the sediments. The generation of large slope deposits or fans substantiates the fact that the area must have faced sub-humid to semi-arid climatic conditions.

The Bhanpura-Gandhi Sagar region in the Chambal valley is one of the richest zones of the Palaeolithic rock art and archaeological sites in the world. The famous Palaeolithic cupule cave Daraki-Chattan with more than 500 cupules executed on its vertical walls is located in the Indragarh Hill near Bhanpura. The back of the hill presents a palaeo-channel of a mighty river of pre-Quaternary age. The cave is facing the valley of the river Rewa which has been a cradle of Palaeolithic man. Lower Palaeolithic-rich factory sites have been exposed on its banks and talus of the hill. Daraki-Chattan is a major site being excavated and scientifically investigated by an International Commission under the multidisciplinary EIP Project, a RASI-AURA joint venture under the aegis of IFRAO, supported by the ASI, ICHR and other organisations and scientific laboratories in India and Australia.

Chaturbhujnath nala near Gandhi Sagar has one of the longest and richest rock painting galleries in the world, more than 1 km long. The biggest composite animal and a dissected reptile figures form a special attraction at a big rockshelter at Gandhi Sagar. Besides, Buddhist caves and temples carved into the laterite hill at Dharmrajeshwar form other attractions.

Bhanpura is located at 24.52° N 75.73° E.