Focusing on rock art as important archaeological remains, Dr Selvakumar V prompts us to consider such engravings as a source for drawing history. His emphasis on the term ‘art’, as used by scholars, allows the viewers to understand several interpretations which the term holds. For instance, it includes perspectives of the subjects who created the art and the perspective of those who study it; the latter one being embedded in the local, social and literary context forms the outsider’s view.
At Edakkal too, engravings in the form of symbols, human figures, geometric patterns, and Brahmi inscriptions are found. Linking these with early historic Tamil literature and Theyyam, a dance form of North Kerala, Dr Selvakumar provides us with various intriguing facts regarding Edakkal Caves.
