Cueva de las Manos
Argentina · Americas · ✦ UNESCO World Heritage Site
Hundreds of hands in five colours reaching across 13,000 years — one of archaeology's most moving sights
Age
~9,000–13,000 yrs
Period
Late Pleistocene–Holocene
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1941
Status
Open to Visitors
The 'Cave of Hands' in Patagonia is one of the most visually arresting prehistoric sites anywhere — hundreds of hand stencils in red, ochre, black, white and violet overlap across the cave walls in a dense, jubilant crowd. The hands are predominantly left, suggesting the right hand was used to blow pigment through a bone tube.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ 800+ hand stencils
- ◦ Multi-coloured ochre pigments
- ◦ Predominantly left hands
Depicted Subjects
Human HandsGuanacosRheasHunting ScenesGeometric Patterns
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.