Khao Chan Ngam Prehistoric color paintings

No evidence related to the establishing history

Red color

Listed as an archaeological site in the Government Gazette, Volume 107, Part 127 on 24 July 1990.

All paintings are in red color. They are 2-4 meters above the ground. Past studies of the Fine Arts Department and Silpakorn University classified the paintings that were found into 12 groups according to the position found. There are 44 paintings altogether, 32 human paintings, 5 animal paintings (dog, birds or chicken, lizard? porcupine? tiger?), a painting of a bow and an arrow. And 5 paintings that are unable to identify. 2 painting techniques used are silhouette and outline. Most people in the paintings have large calves wearing sarong but no shirt. Women in the paintings have a bird's tail hanging from the waist and form a tassel on their head.

Group 1: These are the most prominent and important set of paintings on the east stone wall with the size of 1x2 meters. The paintings are silhouette. There are 2 rows (top and bottom) of a group of 14 people, both male and female, children and adults, and a picture of a dog. Details are as follows:

Top row: It is a painting of 3 people. The first person shows only half the body without the head. The second person is standing with his arms open and there is cloth with the striped hem spread out from both sides of the waist. The painting was drawn from a straight angle but the person in the painting is turning his face to the right. The side of the third person is displayed. He is turning his face to a different direction from the second person. This is a painting with a neck, some parts of the body, and thighs missing.

Bottom row: It is a painting of people walking in a line. The first painting of the bottom row is about 30 centimeters below the top row. It is a painting of a person standing in a position of shooting arrows with an arrow already being shot out from the bow. The painting shows the side view of the person with hair on the head, cloth hanging from the front and the back and the outer hem of the cloth is with stripes. The back leg of the person was shifted. Next to this painting is the painting of a male dog with upright ears and sword tail. Its body is long and thin. Below the painting of the dog is a painting of 2 persons, one is a man and another one is a woman. One is sitting with the knees up and another one has the top naked with a big belly and a tail like a bird. It seems like they are talking in the painting. Next to that is a painting of a person standing with arms akimbo wearing two pieces of clothes covering the front and the back. The right arm is raised up to the elbow. The painting shows the side of the person. About 20 centimeters from this painting is a painting of a hunchback person with hair on the head, cloth hanging from the front and the back and the front hem of the cloth is with stripes. The right hand is stretching out to hold an object like a cane. In front of this painting is a painting of a person standing with both arms raised as if the person is performing a traditional dance. The back thigh is missing. Next is a painting of a side view of woman performing a traditional dance. In front of the woman is a person stretching out the arms with a veil and there is a cross on the back of the veil. Next to that is a painting of 2 children performing a traditional dance. One child is raising up both of the arms and another one is raising up the right arm while the left arm akimbo. They wear two pieces of clothes covering the front and the back. Following that is a faint red painting.

Group 2: Located on the eastern side of the stone wall near the paintings of group 1, but they are on a different stone wall. There is a clear painting of a person running or performing a traditional dance while looking back. The detail from the knees to the toes are missing. This side of the wall has a trace of painting, but has completely faded and only red stripes can be seen.

Group 3: Located on the eastern side of the stone wall. It is a painting of a man catching a reptile that looks like a chameleon, an iguana, or a lizard. There are 3 zigzag lines not far from the painting of the person.

Group 4: Located on the eastern side of the stone wall. It is a painting of 3 people with no head in a standing position. Two of them are wearing cloth like short skirts above the knee.

Group 5: Located on the western side of the stone wall. It is a painting of 3 people standing next to a painting of an animal that looks like a hedgehog or a wild boar. 2 painting techniques were used, silhouette and outline. The animal and the person standing in front of the animal were drawn in outline. Another painting of the person in a running position wearing cloth that covers the front and the back is in silhouette.

Group 6: A painting of 3 people. The most completed person is in the center of the painting. It is a painting of a man spreading his arms out wearing cloth that covers the front and the back. The details from the knees and lower are missing. It can be assumed that the person is performing a traditional dance. The other 2 paintings are not completed, one with half of the top part of the body missing and another one with the lower part starting from the hip is missing.

Group 7: A painting of an animal that looks like a lion or a tiger. There are 5 red dots in front of the animal caused by some missing colors.

Group 8: A painting of 2 people performing a traditional dance. The painting shows only the top part of the body, the bottom part is missing.

Group 9: A painting of a person with the arms raised. One side of the tip of the arm and the leg are missing. There are vertical stripes drawn on the side of the person. That maybe the person painting that has faded (?)

Group 10 A painting of a person with no head and the body is in a curling position.

Group 11 There are three paintings that all may be paintings of 3 people, but the paintings are faded and unclear.

This is one of the most completed paintings that reflects the ritual stories, along with ways of life of people in the prehistoric period such as hunting and dress.

Respect or worship nature such as the sun, mountains, rivers, and natural phenomena such as thunder, lightning, storms

ธราพงศ์ ศรีสุชาติ และจุฑารัตน์ ขุนทอง. ศิลปะถ้ำเขาจันทน์งาม นครราชสีมา. กรุงเทพฯ : กองโบราณคดี กรมศิลปากร, 2532.

พเยาว์ เข็มนาค. ศิลปะถ้ำสมัยก่อนประวัติศาสตร์ในประเทศไทย. กรุงเทพฯ : กองโบราณคดี กรมศิลปากร, 2539.

พัฒน์รพี ขันธกาญจน์. ภาพเขียนสีสมัยก่อนประวัติศาสตร์ที่เขาจันทน์งาม อ.สีคิ้ว จ.นครราชสีมา. สารนิพนธ์ปริญญาศิลปศาสตรบัณฑิต (โบราณคดี) มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร, 2522.