Cookie Consent by Cookie Consent by TermsFeed
 
Bradshaw Foundation World Heritage News
Bradshaw Foundation World Heritage News
Bradshaw Foundation World Heritage News
Bradshaw Foundation - Latest News
The Spanish Cave of Altamira opens - with politics
Thursday 31 July 2014

Altamira Cave Art Paintings Spain

The cave of Altamira in northern Spain is well known for its fine examples of Palaeolithic art. For years, visitors came to see the 22,000 year old rock art, including bisons, horses and signs, painted and carved into the limestone. However, in 2002 the cave was closed to the public when algae-like mould started to appear on some of the paintings. Prompted by lessons learnt from Lascaux in France, the damage was thought to caused by the visitors and the artificial light used to see the rock art; humans alter temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, helping spread microbial colonization on the walls and ceiling of the cave.

There are now new plans for Altamira to be partially opened to the public, but it is controversial. The director of the Altamira museum, Jose Antonio Lasheras, maintains that the state-owned and Culture Ministry-subsidized site must find a balance between preservation and public viewing. Visitors since February, clad in protective suits, have been allowed inside the cave, as part of a scientific study and to determine whether the presence of visitors will affect the rock art. The argument appears to be preservation versus tourism; scientific versus political.

Altamira has been a major tourism destination. By the 1970's, it was attracting more than 150,000 people a year. The site was then closed in 1979 to allow for a lengthy investigation to determine the tourism impact, and then reopened, but with a quota limiting access to 8,500 visitors a year. In 2002, Altamira was closed again. An exact replica of much of Altamira was created and made available to the public. The Altamira museum and its replica cave attracted about 250,000 people each year.

With the replica caves of Altamira, Lascaux and the soon-to-be opened Chauvet, the argument is whether a modern copy can match the experience of the prehistoric original. Personally, last year I visited the Lascaux replica and found it very impressive. The risk of damaging the prehistoric art is not worth taking. But I dare say the controversy will continue.

Peter Robinson, Editor
Bradshaw Foundation

Comment
World Heritage
Burrup Peninsula in World Heritage delays
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 27 November 2023
Fire damage on Rapa Nui
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 07 October 2022
Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 05 November 2021
Court decision halts Stonehenge tunnel
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 03 August 2021
Antony Gormley on the earliest sculptures
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 05 November 2020
A Life on our Planet
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 08 October 2020
Neolithic structure discovered near Stonehenge
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 22 June 2020
The stone circle of Avebury
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 27 April 2020
Callanish in Lewis
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Moving the stones of Stonehenge
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 16 July 2019
Adoranten 2018
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 20 June 2019
Modern sculpture meets ancient Greece
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 08 May 2019
The origin of megaliths
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 12 February 2019
Art and the Pacific with James Fox
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 06 September 2018
Constructing the Rapa Nui moai
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 06 June 2018
Is art for pleasure or politics?
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 29 March 2018
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
If you have enjoyed visiting this website
please consider adding a link © Bradshaw Foundation
 
 
ROCK ART NETWORK
Rock Art Network Bradshaw Foundation Getty Conservation Institute
WORLD HERITAGE
Burrup Peninsula in World Heritage delays
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 27 November 2023
Fire damage on Rapa Nui
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 07 October 2022
Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 05 November 2021
Court decision halts Stonehenge tunnel
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 03 August 2021
Antony Gormley on the earliest sculptures
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 05 November 2020
A Life on our Planet
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 08 October 2020
Neolithic structure discovered near Stonehenge
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 22 June 2020
The stone circle of Avebury
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 27 April 2020
Callanish in Lewis
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Moving the stones of Stonehenge
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 16 July 2019
Adoranten 2018
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 20 June 2019
Modern sculpture meets ancient Greece
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 08 May 2019
The origin of megaliths
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 12 February 2019
Art and the Pacific with James Fox
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 06 September 2018
Constructing the Rapa Nui moai
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 06 June 2018
Is art for pleasure or politics?
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 29 March 2018
Bradshaw Foundation Donate Friends
Support our work & become a
Friend of the Foundation
 
 
Bradshaw Foundation Facebook
 
Bradshaw Foundation YouTube
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store