
Cueva del Ratón
Estructura
It is located 1100 meters above sea level, in a small gully on the southern bank of the San Pablo stream. The cave is formed by materials of volcanic and sedimentary origin, which allowed a good conservation of the paintings, although it is semi-covered by a blackish layer, of organic origin. This enclosure was used as a room by a rancher at the beginning of the 19th century. Distributed along the back wall and ceiling are paintings of human forms, deer, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, hares and even a puma. Some figures can be identified by their hooves, antlers or the shape of their snouts; there are also abstract geometric figures, such as squares and stripes alternating red and black.
There is a great variation in the size of the figures, although in general terms they are large and medium-sized; the small figures represent hares, hinds and some male anthropomorphs. One element that stands out is the puma. The red and black human figure located above the puma, which has a black oval in the facial area, is also noteworthy. There is also a deer decorated with geometric designs, something singular in this rock art.
Main panel: Apparently the name of this site is due to the black puma located at the lower right of the composition, which, according to the locals, was identified as a mouse by the ranchers who repopulated these mountains during the first half of the twentieth century.
Detail of the main panel: On the upper left is part of the figure of a red pronghorn with a black belly, which is identified by its characteristic antlers. The scene includes a human figure painted in red and black, whose face has a black oval. The chromatic component of the human figures has been identified as body and facial painting patterns.
