THE NAMESAKE ELEMENT FOR THIS SITE IS A LARGE WHITE ANTHROPOMORPH WITH, YOU GUESSED IT, LARGE HANDS -- SEEN IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF THIS PHOTO. PART OF RUINS ARE IN RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE PHOTO.

Big Hand Ruin Gallery
CDM- 37


I visited the Big Hand Ruin Pictograph site on the morning of Saturday, March 7, 2026.  I was with my friend Richard and our guide Leander Staley of Beauty Way Jeep Tours on the first day of our visit to the Canyon de Chelly complex during our 2026 Spring Rock Art Trip.  The site gets its name from a large paninted white anthropomorph above and to the left of the main part of the ruin.  There are some interesting and pretty well preserved pictographs above and to the right of the ruins as well.  The site is mainly Modified Basketmaker through Developmental Pueblo with a few Great Pueblo elements thrown in for good measure.  Some elements are still sharp and detailed (especially the dark red ones and some of the white ones), while many are not (yellow elements are not distinguishable to my eye). The light was less than favorable (part shadow and part bright sunshine) and I didn’t do a very good job of photographing this site.  I took all of my photos with my 400mm zoom lens, when, in retrospect, I should have taken a few of the whole panel with my new wide angle lens and some detail shots with my tripod and 500mm prime lens.   Oh well, live and learn!  I hope you enjoy the photos I did manage that day.  If you look closely you will see a variety of human elements, such as bird-headed, triangular bodied, armless, oversized hands, and hammer-headed.  

A LITTLE CLOSER LOOK AT THE NAMESAKE ELEMENT AT THE SITE -- A WHITE ANTHROPOMORPH WITH OVERSIZED HANDS.
THIS PORTION OF THE SITE IS BADLY WEATHERED, BUT YOU CAN STILL MAKE OUT A FEW DETAILS, LIKE HANDPRINTS.
THE BIRDHEADED FIGURE TO THE FAR RIGHT IS DEFINITELY THE STAR OF THIS SHOW.
A COUPLE OF TRIANGLE BODIED HAMMER-HEAD FIGURES FRONT AND CENTER.
ANOTHER BADLY WEATHERED PORTION OF THE SITE.
A COUPLE OF BIRDS AND A FADED ANTHRO TO THE RIGHT OF THE STANDING WALL.
THIS WIDER SHOT SHOWS MOST OF THE ELEMENTS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MAIN PANEL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IN THE LEFT HAND OF THE RED FIGURE ON THE RIGHT, A NET PERHAPS?
SEVERAL THOUGHT PROVOKING ELEMENTS HERE.