Several caves or groups of French and foreign prehistoric sites are part of UNESCO's World Heritage List, as they "represent a masterpiece of human creative genius" but also "unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization (…) which has disappeared". This is the case with the Spanish "Cave of Altamira and Palaeolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain", but also "Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vezere Valley", which have been part of the World Heritage List since 1979. The listing currently covers fifteen sites including the sculpted Cap Blanc Shelter.
The interest of such a listing, in addition to creating a reputation that can draw large numbers of tourists, commits the State to maintaining a site's integrity and authenticity and ensuring both protection and management.