Gorham’s Cave Complex

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Gibraltar)

Location: N36 7 21.61 W5 20 31.42

Date of Inscription: 2016

iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

Property : 28 ha

Buffer zone: 313 ha

Ref: 1500

The steep limestone cliffs on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar contain four caves with archaeological and paleontological deposits that provide evidence of Neanderthal occupation over a span of more than 100,000 years.The site consists of four sea caves:

• Bennett’s,
• Gorham’s,
• Vanguard and
• Hyaena.

This exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Neanderthals is seen notably in evidence of:

• the hunting of birds and marine animals for food,
• the use of feathers for ornamentation and
• the presence of abstract rock engravings.

After the Neanderthals, modern humans entered inhabited the caves around 20,000 years ago. Scientific research on these sites has already contributed substantially to debates about Neanderthal and human evolution.

The caves were the last known dwelling of Neanderthals in the world. Gorham’s Caves contain rock engravings dating back more than 39,000 years, as well as campfires, hunting/stone tools and the remains of butchered animals. The archaeological findings have provided extensive information about the cultural traditions and lifestyles of Neanderthals – from their cognitive abilities to how they caught their food, such as birds, seals and dolphins. One of the largest collections of bird remains from the Neanderthal period were excavated from these caves. It also contains a rich collection of plant and animal fossils.

Gorham’s Cave is named after Captain A. Gorham who discovered it in 1907.

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