Edakkal Caves
India · Asia
Kerala hilltop shelters carrying some of India’s only Neolithic petroglyphs, including a plumed “man of the axe.”
Age
~6,000 yrs
Period
Neolithic
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Petroglyphs
Discovered
1890
Status
Open to Visitors
High on Ambukuthi hill in Wayanad, two natural rock clefts carry engravings spanning the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Human figures with elaborate headdresses, animals and symbols — among the very few Stone-Age petroglyph sites in southern India — include one figure long known as the “man of the axe.”
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Rare South Indian Neolithic petroglyphs
- ◦ The plumed “man of the axe”
- ◦ Hilltop cleft-rock shelters
Depicted Subjects
Human FiguresAnimalsGeometric Signs
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.