World Heritage Advisory Forum discusses the Gorham’s Cave Complex

The World Heritage Advisory Forum (WHAF) has met to review the research, management and conservation of the Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chaired by the Minister for Heritage, Dr John Cortes, WHAF includes representatives from the Gibraltar National Museum, which runs the World Heritage Office, relevant Government of Gibraltar departments, the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Ministry of Defence, the International Research and Conservation Council, and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

The forum was briefed on ongoing research at the Gorham’s Cave Complex, including plans for further excavations in the summer of 2025.

It also reviewed the outcomes of recent research, including the publication of a major paper titled A Neanderthal's specialised burning structure compatible with tar obtention in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, which has become one of the journal’s most downloaded papers.

Discussions also covered the day-to-day management of the site and its state of conservation, particularly following a very wet winter, with a detailed report provided by the World Heritage Office.

WHAF expressed its satisfaction with the management of the site and noted the positive impact of recent improvements, such as the new World Heritage Monument Site at Europa Advance Road and the Parson’s Lodge Natural History Museum. These developments were recognised as contributing to the diversification of the interpretation of Gibraltar’s cultural and natural history while supporting the World Heritage Site.