Cueva de las Manos Cave, Argentina

The Spanish name of Cueva de las Manos can be translated as Cave of Hands. This cave is one of the most interesting in the world from the paleontological point of view. Researchers have found there many ancient rock paintings, including numerous images of human hands. Scientists estimate that the age of some cave paintings is more than 10 000 years. This shows that the cave has been inhabited by people for thousands of years.

During the years of research, scientists were able to decipher a significant part of rock carvings, including images of hands. According to their hypothesis, hands were painted with a special mineral paint by teenage boys during initiation rites. Over the years, the cave remained a sacred place for local residents. The most important religious ceremonies took place there. In addition to numerous handprints on the walls, traditional hunting scenes, as well as images of animals were found.

The cave was discovered relatively recently, in 1941. That's a part of a complex set of caves, whose length is more than 160 km. The depth of the Cueva de las Manos is about 15 meters. For thousands of years, the special microclimate has being formed there. It has contributed to the preservation of the unique rock art. The cave was discovered by chance by one of the local monks. Over tens of years of research, the site allowed to make a lot of new discoveries, but the number of mysteries related to the cave is still very large. Next - The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba