The UNESCO World Heritage List in a Globalized World: The Case of the Paleolithic Caves of Northern Spain (1985–2008)

Northern Spain is home to one of the richest concentrations of Paleolithic cave art found anywhere in the world. The universal value of this heritage was first recognized by UNESCO in 1985, when the cave of Altamira was inscribed in the World Heritage List. In 2008, a further seventeen cave art sites in the region were added to the original list. In this paper I examine this process with reference to two main issues. First, taking the case of Cantabria as a paradigm, I examine the archaeological and heritage narratives that, since the end of the nineteenth century, have made these caves a center of global rock art research. In particular, I discuss the role of these narratives in the nomination process that led to securing UNESCO World Heritage status. Second, I analyze the impact that the World Heritage status has had for Cantabria, a region in which a plurality of stakeholders must be satisfied. I suggest that the economic (tourism), conservation (heritage value), and academic (intellectual value) factors that were the primary drivers in establishing the World Heritage status of the caves constitute a plurality of diverse (and sometimes opposed) interests that have yet to be reconciled. This case study has important implications for the ways in which Paleolithic rock art is globalized by archaeological, heritage, and local communities alike.