ABSTRACT
It is rather difficult to respond to the title proposed by the organisers of the workshop and speak about the future, especially for those of us who dedicate our lives to the most remote past. However, the conservation of the cave of Altamira requires us to know the past, act in the present and anticipate the future, as it is an inherited cultural heritage site which we use now and must pass on. All museums manage the cultural heritage they have been entrusted with: conserve it, research it, share the information gathered as well as promote access to it. This is the central mission of the National Museum and Research Centre of Altamira regarding the cave of Altamira. Since its discovery, the conservation and use criteria applied to it have always been those thought to be the most appropriate, which has shaped its current state. This article summarises the history of the conservation efforts at Altamira, highlighting some of the recently applied management criteria, as well as the different approaches taken regarding its preventive conservation. Finally, it will allude to the expectations for its current limited reopening, which will allow groups of five people plus a guide enter the cave once a week on a trial basis between February and August 2014. This minimal opening was a headline in Spanish media as well as in many other countries on the 27th and 28th of February. Altamira is one of the most representative sites of the art of the Upper Palaeolithic. The diversity of themes, the styles and techniques used as well as its ample chronology are elements of great scientific interest, while being spectacular and attractive to the general public. Due to its exceptional value, the Altamira Cave has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1985.
