Chile Guide
Southern Patagonia
Museo Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello
Address: West side of Avenida Manuel Bulnes
Opening time: Tues– Sun 10am–12.30 & 3–6pm
Price: CH$1500
Amongst the cases of geological samples, jars of pickled marine animals and trays of mounted insects at the Museo Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello, displays vividly depict the daily life of the extinct Fuegian Indians. The weapons used by these accomplished hunters varied amongst the different tribes: the Alacaluf and Yahgan Indians, who fished from canoes, made long spears with viciously barbed heads for catching fish, while the Ona (Selk'nam) and Haush were expert bowmen and used different types of arrows depending on their prey. The Europeans regarded the Tehuelches as the finest horsemen they had ever seen and marvelled at the skill with which they could bring down a guanaco or rhea (a type of ostrich, locally called a ñandú) using bolas (a throwing weapon of heavy balls linked with string). The museum has a large collection of these weapons and the stone tools used to make them.
One room of the museum is completely taken up by a full-size copy of the Cave of Hands (Cueva de las Manos) the original of which is near Chile Chico, 1600km north of Punta Arenas. The 11,000-year-old rock paintings are typical of the nomadic art found throughout Patagonia. The hand images, which give most of these caves their name, were created in two ways: either by wetting the rock with blood and pressing a hand on it, or by blowing ground rock around a hand, creating a silhouette. Among the other paintings are geometric designs and delicate illustrations of guanacos and rheas.