25 places to discover
Adamgarh Rock Shelters are a group of prehistoric rock shelters located on Adamgarh Hills, about 2 km south of Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad) in Madhya Pradesh. The site comprises 18 shelters with rock paintings and Stone Age habitation evidence. Notable for remains from Lower Palaeolithic to Mesolithic periods, including stone tools and ochre paintings of animals and human figures, it provides insight into early human life in the Narmada Valley.
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Raisen District, Madhya Pradesh, about 45 km south of Bhopal. The site comprises over 750 sandstone rock shelters with prehistoric cave paintings spanning Paleolithic to medieval periods. Discovered in 1957, it exhibits early human habitation and rock art depicting hunting, dancing and animal figures, set within the Vindhyan hills and dense forest landscape.
Botalda Rock Shelters are prehistoric rock shelters located in Botalda village in Kanker district (Uttar Bastar Kanker) of Chhattisgarh, India. The site consists of natural sandstone shelters containing ancient rock paintings and petroglyphs attributed to Mesolithic to historic periods. Notable for its archaeological and anthropological value, the shelters preserve early human artistic expressions depicting animals, human figures and geometric patterns, offering insight into prehistoric life in central India.
Chaturbhuj Nala Rock Paintings are a group of prehistoric rock shelters located in the Chaturbhuj Nala gorge within Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh. Situated near the Gandhi Sagar Dam on the Chambal River, the site contains numerous rock art panels depicting human figures, animals, hunting scenes and geometric motifs spanning from the Mesolithic to historic periods, making it one of central India's important rock art complexes.
Gua Tambun Rock Art is a limestone cave site on Gunung Panjang near Tambun, Ipoh, in Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia. It contains Neolithic rock paintings considered among the largest and most significant in Peninsular Malaysia, with hundreds of reddish hematite drawings of humans, animals and geometric motifs. Discovered in 1959, the site overlooks the Tambun valley and is valued for its archaeological importance and scenic karst landscape.
Gudahandi Rock Art Caves are prehistoric rock shelters located in the Gudahandi hills near Koksara in Kalahandi district, Odisha. The site is known for Mesolithic to Neolithic rock paintings depicting human figures, animals and geometric patterns in red and black pigments. Situated atop a hillock amid forested terrain, the caves offer insight into early human habitation in eastern India and are recognized as an important archaeological heritage site of Odisha.
Gya-Sasoma Rock Art is an open-air petroglyph site located near Gya village on the Leh-Manali Highway in Leh district, Ladakh. Spread across boulders and rock surfaces between Gya and Sasoma, it features ancient carvings of ibex, yaks, hunters, and geometric motifs. Attributed to prehistoric to early historic periods, the site offers insight into early pastoral and hunting cultures of the Trans-Himalayan region and is notable for its well-preserved rock engravings in a high-altitude desert landscape.
Isko Rock Art Site is a prehistoric rock shelter complex located in Isko village, Barkagaon block of Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand. Situated on rocky hillocks near the village, it contains ancient rock paintings and petroglyphs dating from the Mesolithic to Chalcolithic periods. Notable for its ochre and white pigment artworks depicting humans, animals and geometric patterns, the site is an important archaeological attraction showcasing early human artistic expression in eastern India.
Jogimath Caves are natural rock shelters located on Jogimath Hill near Khariar in Nuapada district, Odisha. The site is known for prehistoric rock paintings and petroglyphs attributed to the Neolithic and Mesolithic periods. The paintings depict human figures, animals, and geometric patterns in red ochre. Situated amid forested hill terrain, the caves are an important archaeological site illustrating early human artistic expression in eastern India.
Kakadu National Park is Australia's largest national park, located about 240 km east of Darwin in West Arnhem, Northern Territory. Covering nearly 20,000 sq km, it is jointly managed by Parks Australia and Traditional Owners. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for natural and cultural values, it is renowned for vast wetlands, sandstone escarpments, waterfalls, diverse wildlife and extensive Aboriginal rock art galleries.
Karmagarh Rock Shelters are a group of natural rock shelters located near Karmagarh village in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh. The site is known for prehistoric rock paintings and archaeological remains found on shelter walls and ceilings. Situated in a forested landscape, the shelters preserve evidence of early human habitation and artistic expression. The site is of archaeological interest and is visited for its rock art, natural formations and historical value.
Ketavaram Rock Paintings is a protected prehistoric rock art site located in Ketavaram village, Orvakal Mandal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, on sandstone boulders along the Tungabhadra River. The site features paintings dated from the Upper Paleolithic to Megalithic periods, depicting bulls, deer, human figures and geometric motifs in red ochre, and is notable as one of the important rock art complexes in South India maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Manning Gorge is a natural sandstone gorge on Manning Creek within Mt Barnett Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, accessed via the Gibb River Road in the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley. It is notable for its seasonal waterfall, large deep swimming hole, towering cliffs and Aboriginal rock art. Reached by a 3 km return bushwalk including a creek crossing, it is a popular dry-season visitor destination.
Mitchell River National Park is a remote wilderness park on the Mitchell Plateau in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, within the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley. Covering about 1,150 square kilometres, it is renowned for the four-tiered Mitchell Falls (Punamii-Uunpuu), extensive Livistona palm forests, and significant Aboriginal rock art. Jointly managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners, it offers rugged gorges, waterfalls and cultural landscapes accessible only in the dry season.
Murujuga National Park is a protected area on the Burrup Peninsula near Dampier and Karratha in Western Australia's Pilbara region. Co-managed by the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the Western Australian Government, it protects one of the world's largest and densest concentrations of petroglyphs, with over one million engravings. The arid coastal landscape of red rock, spinifex and mangroves offers boardwalks and trails for viewing ancient rock art in its natural setting.
Nautangwa Rock Art Site is a prehistoric rock art location near Nautangwa village in Garhwa district, Jharkhand, India. The site comprises natural sandstone rock shelters bearing ancient paintings and petroglyphs attributed to early hunter-gatherer communities. Notable for its depictions of human figures, animals and geometric patterns, it represents an important example of eastern India's rock art heritage and offers insight into early human artistic expression in the region.
N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park is a protected nature park in the Hart Range, about 90 kilometres east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. It protects a scenic gorge with sandy creek beds and rugged rock walls containing approximately 6,000 Aboriginal stone engravings (petroglyphs). Managed by the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, the park is significant for its Eastern Arrernte cultural heritage and desert landscape, accessible via a 4WD track off the Ross Highway.
Nourlangie, officially Burrungkuy, is a major Aboriginal rock art site in Kakadu National Park, West Arnhem, Northern Territory. Located on the Arnhem Land sandstone escarpment about 30 kilometres south of Jabiru, it contains extensive galleries including Anbangbang and Nanguluwur. The site displays paintings spanning thousands of years, illustrating ancestral stories and daily life, and offers elevated views over woodlands and escarpment within the World Heritage-listed park.
Ongna Rock Shelters are a group of prehistoric rock shelters located near Ongna village in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh. The site is known for ancient rock paintings and petroglyphs found on sandstone shelter walls. Belonging to the Mesolithic to historic periods, the shelters form part of the Raigarh rock art complex along with Singhanpur and Kabra Pahad, and are notable for their archaeological and heritage value.
Pha Taem National Park is a protected area in Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, eastern Thailand, along the Mekong River bordering Laos. Established in 1991, it covers about 340 square kilometers of dipterocarp forest, sandstone cliffs and plateaus. It is notable for extensive prehistoric rock paintings dating back 3,000 years, dramatic cliff viewpoints, and unusual mushroom-shaped rock formations such as Sao Chaliang.
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park is a protected archaeological and historical park in Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province, northeastern Thailand. Set on the Phu Phan mountain range, it preserves unusual sandstone rock formations, prehistoric rock paintings, Dvaravati-period Sema stones and Buddhist shrines. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024, the park is notable for its distinctive natural landscape combined with evidence of human occupation spanning several millennia.
Singhanpur Rock Shelters are a group of prehistoric rock shelters located in Singhanpur village in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh, about 20 km from Raigarh city. Known for Mesolithic-era rock paintings dating back around 30,000 years, the site features natural sandstone shelters adorned with ochre paintings of humans, animals and geometric patterns. Discovered in 1910, it is one of Chhattisgarh's earliest documented rock art sites and an important archaeological attraction.
The Granites is a large granite outcrop located a short drive west of Mount Magnet in Western Australia's Murchison region. The formation features weathered boulders, gnamma holes and sheltered caves containing Aboriginal rock art. It is a significant cultural site for the Badimia people and a popular stop for visitors exploring the region's natural and heritage attractions, offering photography, short walks and insight into traditional land use.
Ubirr is a renowned Aboriginal rock art site in Kakadu National Park, West Arnhem, Northern Territory, Australia. Located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Nadab floodplain, it contains several galleries with paintings spanning thousands of years, including naturalistic and x-ray style works. Part of the Kakadu World Heritage Area, it is notable for its cultural significance, accessible galleries, and panoramic sunset viewpoint over the wetlands.
Yourbaltak Rock Inscriptions is an open-air archaeological site at Yourbaltak village in Kargil district, Ladakh, on the bank of the Indus River along the Kargil-Leh Highway (NH 1). It is notable for extensive petroglyphs and rock carvings on granite boulders, depicting ibex, hunters, and Buddhist motifs such as stupas. Dating from prehistoric to early historic periods, the site is protected and offers insight into early settlement and rock art traditions of Ladakh.