Antique
hand-shaped paintings are faithful representations
of our ancestors in the Patagonia. Inside "The
hands cave" and in the "La Maria"
farm extension (both in Santa Cruz) you will find
these hieroglyphic paintings made 12,000 years ago.
The
remainigs of the Patagonias history are within anybody’s
reach. You shall find them in the Santa Cruz province.
You will see hands paintings dating from 9,000 to
12,000 years back. Some paintings are found in the
"La Maria" estate in the middle east of
Santa Cruz. The "cueva de Las Manos" (hands
cave) is located alongside the river known as the
Paintings river (northeast Santa Cruz). .
"La Maria" estate holds an incredible
amount of paintings distributed in more than seventy-five
caves. The paintings where made more than 12600
years ago by the first habitants here. The techniques
used in most cases is the same used by photocopiers.
Even dough in the "Cueva de las Manos"
(hands cave) mostly the same techniques are used;
the paintings here date 9,300 years back. In 1999
U N E S C O declared this caves one of Humanities
Cultural Ownerships and Interest site due to its
archaelogical importance. Besides the 729 hands
printed in the walls of the cave, scenes sowing
humans hunting animals depict the ways of the era.
