Cueva de las Manos meaning Hands of the Caves is hidden far away deep in the provincial park. The UNESCO World Heritage site displays an array of magnificent paintings dated between 9300 years to 1300 years ago. The paintings range from those of hands to hunting scenes, teachings and possible rituals. The excavation and preservation of the site only started about 50 years ago by Carlos Gradin and his team and is still ongoing.
How to get there
You can reach the site via route 40 through two exits. On the more southern exit you will need to drive 50km on gravel roads to reach the caves. The northern exit takes you 26km on dirt track roads through Parque Patagonia Argentina and leads to the opposite side of the canyon. This allows for a scenic hike down into Canyon del Rio Pinturas and back up to the caves.
How to see Cueva de las Manos
The only way to see the caves and the paintings is through guided tours that last around an hour and start every hour. They cost $36,000 Argentinean dollars for tourists but locals get a discount. These tours cannot be booked in advance unless I believe through an agency for a large party. These tours all have knowledgeable guides who take you through the history and the current understanding of the paintings, and are equipped to answer your questions. We were also lucky enough to have a tour guide who could translate into English.
Who do the painted hands belong to
Though there are several sights within the 150km valley that display paintings of hands this cave is by far the largest. It is still unknown just how many hands there are as many of them are over lapped. It is estimated to be above 2000. A great deal is unknown about the caves as we have never had any direct contact with these people, we can only speculate. However they are believed to be the first inhabitants of Argentina.
The paintings were left by a culture of people living in Patagonia, a people who travelled the canyon and stayed within the cave from several weeks to several months at a time. They fished and hunted in the area and took respite from the weather within the caves. There are remnants of fires and animal bones in the heart of the cave.
Hands of all ages can be found even young infants, both women and men. It is believed the painting of a hand on these walls was a statement of ‘I was here’.
How did they paint their hands
The paintings are unusual given they are not just a painted hand print. Bone pipes were used to blow the ‘paint’ across the hand placed palm down on the wall. Yellow, red, black, purple, green and white paints were made using mineral pigments mixed together with liquid. There are only a few green paintings that were created with green copper which is found 300km away. This shows us how far these people traveled. Over time the paintings become more creative with people first creating a positive print of the hand in one colour to then spray over with another.
More than just hands
Cueva de las Manos is known for its paintings of hands but there is so much more. Over the thousands of years stretch much has been added to the cliff walls. Fully grown, young and even pregnant Guanacos (llamas) are depicted on the walls. Other animals too such as Choiques (Emus) and Gatos del Pajonal (wild cats). Moon cycles believed to be a tool for teaching. Possible religious symbols that today we don’t understand the meaning off. Scenes of prayers and rituals. It is possible that a large fire spread the area and was recorded on the wall. Lets take a look at some of these painting.
Hunting scenes
There are several hunting scenes depicted across the rock face. You can seen the guanacos surrounded by men like figures. These painting are believed to be both a tool for teaching others as well as a recording of their triumphs.
Teaching corner
There is a section of wall that is believed to be used to teach young children. Nine circles are painted in a row in which it is speculated to be the nine full moons of pregnancy. Further hunting scenes are shown one of which looks to have taken place in the canyon below. Given the shape of the crack in the wall it is painted across looking similar to the rock face opposite.
The older the painting the more detailed they were. As time passed human brains were developing allowing them to communicate better therefore needing to add less detail to the paintings.
Rituals and prayers
Some of the paintings are difficult to decipher, one painting in particular of a human like body in a strange twisted shape is believed to depict someone dancing in a possible ritual. Several paintings have not yet been identified and are possible symbols and rituals of this culture. One scene in particular shows several pregnant guanacos and a moon, it is speculated this scene is of prayers due to a possible drought in the area and therefore decline in food.
A little more about the hands at Cueva de las Manos
Mostly all the hands at Cueva de las Manos are left as they believe most people would have been right handed though there are several left hands.
A singular six figured hand is shown on the wall.
Only one hand has been noted to have repeated and it was repeated seven times. It is unknown why but perhaps this person came to the valley seven times or perhaps they were an important figure.
One hand is surrounded by a very large red circle, this hand is beloved to belong to an important person within their community though it is unknown who they might have been. There are some thoughts that possibly only those of important families were allowed to paint their hand but that is only a speculation as it is unknown if they had a hierarchy of any kind.
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