The Proceedings is a product of 3-day Joint Indo-French seminar on Rock Art in India and France, held in 2006 at Bhopal, under the sponsorship of Indian Council Historical Research. This is a collection of 14 well researched papers on various important aspects of the theme under the title of India and France: Studies in Rock Art.

The deliberations of the proceedings focused on various characteristics and issues related to the study of rock art that include all sorts of artistic expressions such as Paintings, Engraving and Pecking drawn in the remote past on bare surface of rocks, boulders, caves and rock shelters. It contains a comparative study of Rock Art of India and France. Almost all the regions, significant for the rock art and rock paintings of India, are deliberated upon by rock art historians and archaeologists.

Prof. D.N. Tripathi retired as Head, Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and Culture and as Director, Rahul Peeth, Gorakhpur University, Uttar Pradesh. He was Fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla from 1999-2002; and during September-October 2003, He was Visiting Professor British Academy, UK. He was Chairman of ICHR, from 2004-2007.

Professor Tripathi, a post-graduate in Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology from Allahabad University in 1958. He studied Greek Language from Athens University of Athens, Greece in 1970s and took Doctorate on Bronze work of Greece from Southampton University (UK) in 1976. Besides various foreign scholarships and participation in international conferences and seminars; he organized important national and international seminars. Having taught for four decades and guiding doctoral and post doctoral scholars, he has written a number of books and research articles on Indian and Greek studies.

His authored books include Bronzework of Mainland Greece from 2600 BC to 1450 BC (1987). Archaeology and Tradition (1988), Cultural Interactions between India and Greece (1996), and Hinduism and Hellenism (2004).

I am, indeed, very happy to bring before the readers the Proceedings of the 3-day Joint Indo-French seminar on Rock Art in India and France, held from 25 to 29th November 2006 at Bhopal, conducted under the sponsorship of Indian Council Historical Research. At the same time, I owe my apology on behalf of the ICHR to all the contributors and the editor for the inordinate delay in bringing out the remarkable collection of the papers on such an important aspect of history and archaeology under the title of India and France: Studies in Rock Art.

I am grateful to the editor Prof. D N Tripathi and subject experts like Prof. VH Sonawane, Dr. RC Agarwal and others, who have sent their inputs for incorporation in the manuscript to make it as good a presentation as possible.

I compliment the officials and staff of the ICHR for extending their services in bringing out this publication with care and attention. My Thanks are also due to Prof. Kumar Ratnam, Member Secretary, Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Director (Journal, Publication & Library), Dr. Omjee Upadhyay, Director (Research & Administration), Dr. Md Naushad Ali, Deputy Director (Publication) and Dr. Saurab Kumar Mishra, Deputy Director (Journal) for the sincere efforts they put in during the process of this publication. Last, but not the least, I thank Dr. Agam Prasad of the Agam Kala Prakashan to give his personal attention to help in bringing out the publication in a neat and presentable format.

**Contents and Sample Pages**