The handprints were produced by smearing the palm with wet pigment, using only one color, and pressing it against the wall to leave an imprint. Shades of ochre, ranging from red to orange, were the most commonly used colors, with white or black being used only occasionally.
Photo taken from Grant S. McCall `s page
While human and animal images are frequently reworked in different forms, shapes, and combinations, handprints are unique, yet they continue to repeat. Two distinct varieties were found in a Cape: one is the standard plain print, common throughout the region from the coast to the mountains, while the other is a decorated or lined version. This decorated print is created by wiping a pattern—composed of nested curves or ‘U’ shapes—into the already pigment-smeared palm or hand before imprinting it on the cave wall. Interestingly, the decorated form appeared only along the coast and in the Sandveld area near the coast.
The art of handprints is not limited to this region; it is a worldwide phenomenon and mystery. But what does it all mean?
Clearly, something very personal is revealed by human handprints, as people used their own hands as a form of identification in sacred spaces. In each case, the handprint signifies a particular person and may also indicate a clear sense of self-awareness in the individual.
At most sites, several individuals were involved in the creation of handprints, suggesting that hand printing was a group activity rather than a solitary endeavor. It may have been performed by young boys during initiation ceremonies, similar to practices in northwestern Australia, or by young girls during female initiation rites involving seclusion at puberty.
Spiritually, the palm of the hand may have been closely associated with power and healing, viewed as a sacred part of the human body. It could symbolize the giving and receiving of energy, much like how shamans healed by laying hands on a patient, drawing the illness into their own body. The creation of handprints, in this sense, is similar to practices of the elves—both acts consolidating power on the walls.
Video Introduction – Hand Prints of the Past
The image of the human handprint has been found all over the world. This 15-minute video, produced by North 02, offers an insightful overview of the subject.
