Description of the attraction
The name of the cave Cueva de las Manos translated from Spanish means "Cave of the Hands", it is located in the very center of Patagonia, in the small province of Argentina Santa Cruz.
In 1964, professor of archeology Carlos Gradin conducted research here and made Cueva de las Manos famous all over the world. The scientist feared that the cave would not retain its original appearance after crowds of tourists flooded here. But in 1999, UNESCO listed Cueva de las Manos on its World Heritage List.
In general, rock art can be found in many places in Santa Cruz, but in the Cave of Hands it is the most interesting. Among the numerous drawings, one can find images of animals, human figures, hunting scenes and, most surprisingly, more than 800 life-size human handprints. Scientists have come to the conclusion that most of the prints belong to female hands. They associate this phenomenon with the fact that in ancient times it was women who were engaged in the manufacture of pottery; they were the first to start mixing paints and painting.
All of these paintings and frescoes are considered the oldest traces of human presence in South America. Separately, it should be said about the color. Ancient artists used natural mineral pigments to create shades of black, white, yellow, magenta and red.
The cave itself is hidden from human eyes in the deep canyon of the Pintura River. Tourists are offered excursions accompanied by local guides. There is an information center and a cafe.
