HUMAN EVOLUTION Vol. 11 - N. 2 (129-138) - 1996 E Arias Dpto. de Ciencias Hist6ricas Universidad de Cantabria E-39005 Santander, Spain M. D. Garralda Secci6n de Antropologfa Facultad de Biologia Universidad Complutense de Madrid E-28040 Madrid, Spain Key words: Cantabrian region, Los Canes Cave, Mesolithic burials. Mesolithic burials in Los Canes cave (Astu- rias, Spain) Los Canes is a small cave situated half way-up the abrupt south- ern slope of Cuera range, near the village of Arangas (Eastern Asturias, Spain). Three funerary structures have been discovered in the entrance of that cave. They consisted of burials (one of them, number If, re- used) where the corpses of three individuals had been placed in different positions, with the legs strongly bent. Various grave goods (animal bones, pierced teeth, a perforated antler, etc.) ac- companied them. The individuals found in these burials have been directly dated by AMS. Their age ranges between 6930_+95 and 6265_+75 BP (5930-5680 and 5330-5010 cal. BC). The present paper describes in detail the burials and discusses the questions raised by their datations and characteristics. Fourthermore the authors compare them with other Cantabrian funerary structures, taken into account the different mesoecological factors and living conditions of these last hunter-gatherer populations. Some preliminary anthropological data about Los Canes individual n~ I are also considered. Introduction The Cantabrian region (Spanish northern coastal provinces) is well known in archaeo- logical literature for its numerous and important Prehistoric sites, which provide crucial data for the study of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods in the Iberian Peninsula. A multidisciplinary program of research, focusing on the study of the earliest phases of recent Prehistory (Neolithic and Chalcolithic), was developed in the South-Eastern part of Asturias between 1985 and 1993. One of the main results of this project was the discovery in Los Canes Cave of three Mesolithic sepultures, the description of which is the aim of the present paper. Los Canes Cave, located near the village of Arangas (district of Cabrales), is open at 325 meters above sea level in the Namurian limestone of the Cuera range, dominating a narrow valley flowing to the Cares river in Arenas de Cabrales. Although the elevation of the site is moderate, the region around it is really abrupt, with contrasts of more than 2,500 m. of height across their 40 kin. of width. These geographical peculiarities must have had strong influences in both cultural and biological aspects of Human Evolution, as will be discussed later