RAS question
Bhimbetka rock shelters were discovered by:
Correct answer: (D) V.S. Wakankar.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters were discovered by V.S. Wakankar in 1957.
Explanation
V.S. Wakankar is the discovery figure to remember for Bhimbetka. The UNESCO nomination dossier states that the site complex was discovered by him in 1957. This was not just a casual identification: Wakankar later began surveys and excavations through Vikram University, Ujjain, and his three-tiered system for grouping and numbering shelters became the standard reference structure for the site. He first noticed the rock formations during a train journey and then explored them. Bhimbetka is important because the region contains over 700 shelters, including shelters with prehistoric paintings, making the discovery a landmark in the study of Indian prehistory.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Robert Bruce Foote is not named in the UNESCO nomination dossier as the discoverer of the Bhimbetka site complex.
- (B) Mortimer Wheeler is not credited with discovering Bhimbetka; the UNESCO nomination dossier assigns the 1957 discovery to V.S. Wakankar.
- (C) H.D. Sankalia is not the discovery figure for Bhimbetka; V.S. Wakankar is identified instead.
Concept
This tests a standard Ancient Indian History fact from the prehistory and rock-art segment. RAS repeats such attribution questions because names, sites and dates anchor larger topics like Mesolithic culture and archaeological evidence.