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Spain to reopen Altamira cave to the public
Jun 8, 2010, 15:58 GMT
Santillana del Mar, Spain - Spain's Altamira cave, which contains some of the world's most important prehistoric paintings, will be reopened to the public after having been closed since 2002, Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde said Tuesday.
Visitors have, in the mean time, been able to view a replica of the cave, located near the northern town of Santillana del Mar, which has drawn 2.5 million people since the original cave was closed.
It will be reopened in the end of the year, Gonzalez-Sinde said, explaining that a board of experts would determine how many people would be able to enter without their presence damaging the paintings, estimated to be 14,500 years old.
The cave, which was discovered in the late 19th century, has been closed to the public several times because the paintings were being damaged by the carbon dioxide in the breath of large numbers of people.
The Upper Paleolithic paintings, which show animals, humans and human hands, are believed to have been used for purposes including hunting rituals. The Altamira cave has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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