Cueva de las Manos

Cueva de las Manos is a prehistoric cave in Santa Cruz Province in southern Argentina, known for its extraordinary rock paintings spanning several millennia. The walls show not only hand prints but also depictions of animals, hunting scenes, and abstract patterns applied in different shades of ochre.

People began leaving hand prints at this site about 9300 years ago, with the oldest layers reaching back to the eighth millennium before Christ. The cave was used by successive groups of hunters over millennia until artistic activity ended around 700 AD.

The hand prints were made by placing palms against the rock and blowing pigment over them through hollow bones, creating negative impressions. Besides the hands, the walls show hunting scenes with guanacos and geometric patterns that likely held ritual or symbolic meaning.

Access to the cave follows a gravel road branching off Ruta 40, passable only with a vehicle that has higher ground clearance. Visitors should bring enough water and supplies, as there are no facilities in the surrounding area.

Most of the hand prints come from left hands, suggesting the artists used their right hand to blow the pigments. Some prints also show missing or deformed fingers, whose meaning remains puzzling to this day.