RAS question
Bhimbetka rock paintings predominantly depict scenes of:
Correct answer: (C) Hunting and daily life.
Bhimbetka rock paintings predominantly depict hunting scenes, animal figures, dancing, and other aspects of daily life.
Explanation
Bhimbetka is best read as evidence of prehistoric life, not of later economic or ritual specialisation. The main themes are hunting scenes, animal figures such as bison, tiger, and rhinoceros, dancing, and daily life activities, with green and red as the predominant colours. UNESCO's entry on the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka supports this interpretation by describing the site as closely associated with a hunting-and-gathering economy and a cultural landscape shaped by interaction between people and the landscape. That is why "hunting and daily life" is the most precise option: it captures both the activity shown in the paintings and the broader everyday context in which the site is understood.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maritime trade is not supported by Bhimbetka's themes or by UNESCO's description of the site as linked to a hunting-and-gathering economy.
- (B) Agricultural activities are not the predominant theme here; the stated themes are hunting, animals, dancing, and daily life.
- (D) Religious ceremonies only is too narrow because the paintings are described as showing hunting, animals, dancing, and daily life, not ritual scenes alone.
Concept
This tests prehistoric Indian art, especially how rock paintings are used as evidence for subsistence and social life. RAS asks such questions because sites like Bhimbetka connect ancient history, archaeology, and cultural heritage in a compact factual theme.