Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) is an archaeological site located in the Argentine Patagonia. It is believed to have been a place of gathering of particular importance for the hunter-gatherer groups that lived dispersed in the area. It holds over two thousand images painted along its walls, in different colours (red, yellow, white, black, and green), and techniques.

The oldest representations are believed to be around 9400 years old, and those who visited the site over time continued to add on to its colorful composition with new drawings up until around 2500 years ago.

The site’s name is given by its incredibly high concentration of negative hand imprints (around one thousand) that expose a unique connection with the humans that stood in that exact place once upon a time.

An important part of the remaining images represent guanacos, the local camelid that was the primary source of sustenance for these groups. But there are also depictions of other animals, such as choiques (Rhea), piches (a small armadillo), and huemules (South Andean deer). Humans are also represented, mostly involved in hunting scenes together with guanacos.  

Learn more about Cueva de las Manos in its official website (cuevadelasmanos.org) that also holds an online library of research papers on this stunning Unesco World Heritage site.