Las Monas’ Cave[edit]

With more than two thousand years of antiquity, Las Monas’ Cave is already qualified as an archeological zone in recovery by the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) with cave art manifestations. It is also a site declared as World Heritage by the UNESCO, located inside a mountain at the north of Chihuahua, Mexico, more specifically in the highway that connects the city with Juarez, passing the Sacramento’s toll.

Las Monas’ Cave was officially reported in the second half of the 1980s, period in which the first studies about the cultural history of the site’s components were carried out. After the 1980s, the site has been well-stocked with new opinions and observations about the paintings antiquity and the groups who had painted them. The first interpretations argue that the majority of the paintings authors were the Conchos ethnic group. Nevertheless, as a result of new discoveries, the Tarahumara ethnic group took responsibility for the greater number of manifestations. At least three pictorial stages were identified: Archaic (500 a.D.), Colonial (XVI-XVIII centuries) and Apache (XVIII-XIX centuries). In the 1990s, due to the increase in tourism, the first cleaning jobs, handrails installation, cards and path reconditioning were accomplished.

As cultural vestiges, a collection of images which reflects cosmogony, human figures, Christian crosses, stars, suns, peyote cacti, bear footprints, birds and hundreds of abstract figures can be found. The images are painted based on iron oxides in red hematite or ochre, yellow, black manganese and lime based white pigments.

The cave’s main façade reflects a woman with a shaman, allusive to the Peyote’s Scraping Ritual, and a man in the center of a circle, which symbolizes the sun, participating in a spiritual ceremony on a white background. Following from left to right, a human figure that represents a Spaniard in the colonial period appears. Frets in chain form, zig-zag images, points and figures in form of jellyfish stand out too.

Moreover, the cave art manifestations capture the Giant’s Myth. The central figure stands out from the others for its size; with its arms on the sides, it displays its big open hands as an explanation of the power of the strong giants that lived in La Sierra to intimidate the population. Tired of the harassment and fear of the continuous giants’ attack to the towns, the inhabitants invited them to work in their lands in exchange for food. The natives took the opportunity to poison the giants adding chilicote (a toxic plant) to the meals, thus, ending with the fear instilled by the mythical and gigantic beings. This cave scene was part of their religious life.

In addition to the cultural heritage, the zone is characteristic for its trails and hills ideal for hiking. Moreover, rappel descents can be performed due to good anchor points and the strength of the wall, formed by the cave in the mountain.

Based on the history, expressions, forms and colors which the cave’s walls harbor, Las Monas’ Cave constitutes a representative example of cave art not only in Chihuahua, but in the North of Mexico.

References[edit]

Fliz, J. (2010). “CUEVA DE LAS MONAS - México – Chihuahua”. Blogspot. Retrieved from: http://primeross.blogspot.com/2010/12/cueva-de-las-monas-mexico-chihuahua_15.html

Franklin, N. and Strecker, M. (2008). “Rock Art Studies - News of the World Volume 3”. Google Books. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.mx/books?id=tDFwBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA249&lpg=PA249&dq=las+monas+cave&source=bl&ots=-bLyPASpzm&sig=hRgIA7JR1aBLXPcN8EoaG9x6Fs8&hl=es&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWoOnd4fXdAhWVIjQIHYLHCvQQ6AEwFnoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=las%20monas%20cave&f=false
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Centro INAH Chihuahua. (n.d.). “Cueva de las Monas”. Centro INAH Chihuahua. Retrieved from: http://inahchihuahua.gob.mx/sections.pl?id=80

La Opción de Chihuahua. (2017). “Visita la Cueva de las Monas en esta Semana Santa”. La Opción de Chihuahua. Retrieved from: http://laopcion.com.mx/noticia/172396

Lazcano, C. (2010). “¿Existe arte rupestre en Chihuahua?”. México Desconocido. Retrieved from: https://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/existe-arte-rupestre-en-chihuahua-chihuahua.html
Ramírez, V. (2014). “Cueva de las Monas, vestigios de una cultura brillante y desconocida”. La Crónica de Chihuahua. Retrieved from: http://www.cronicadechihuahua.com/Cueva-de-las-Monas-vestigios-de,32209.html