The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site, describing the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is situated at Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, 45 kilometers south of Bhopal at the southern verge of the Vindhyachal hills. South of these rock shelters are successive ranges of the Satpura hills.
These were inhabited by early mans more than 100,000 years ago. Rock paintings found on rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old and tells about hobbies of human being and imprints of animals and reptiles. They were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.The name Bhimbetka is depicted with Bhima, a hero divine being of the epic Mahabharata. The word is derived from Bhimbaithka, meaning "sitting place of Bhima".
