Llanes is set to host a conference titled "Speleology and Archaeology in Llanes" this Saturday, bringing together three specialists to explore the region's underground and prehistoric heritage. The event will take place at the Casa Municipal de Cultura, beginning at 17:30.
The conference is organised by the Casa Municipal de Cultura and the Sociedad Espeleológica y Barranquista Escar, the only speleology club in Eastern Asturias, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this autumn.
Conference schedule
The first talk, starting at 17:30, will be presented by Pablo Solares Villar, who will discuss "S.E.B. Escar: 20 years of speleological exploration in Llanes." Solares Villar, a Technical Sports Specialist in Speleology, has been practising this discipline for 35 years, with the last 20 years spent at the Sociedad Espeleológica y Barranquista Escar, which he currently presides over. He has also served as president of the Speleology Federation of the Principality of Asturias and is currently a member of its board, coordinating the Exploration Areas and Caves Catalogue Committee. His presentation will feature images showcasing the major caves in the region, including those with over a kilometre of galleries or more than 100 metres in depth.
At 18:30, Borja González Rabanal will deliver a talk titled "The Cave of Ḥou Amieva and the last hunter-gatherers of Cuera." González Rabanal holds a degree in History from the University of Oviedo and a Master's in Prehistory and Archaeology from the University of Cantabria. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oviedo and the University of Rome La Sapienza, focusing on the subsistence strategies and settlement patterns of the last hunter-gatherers and early agricultural communities in the northern Iberian Peninsula. His presentation will highlight findings from excavations at the Cueva de Ḥou Amieva, indicating a Mesolithic site associated with the last hunter-gatherers in the Iberian Peninsula.
Alberto Martínez Villa will conclude the event at 19:30 with a talk on "The Paleolithic and the caves of Llanes." Martínez Villa, who holds a doctorate in History and Archaeology from UNED, directs the Ecomuseum of Glacial Fauna in Onís. His research has focused on the Paleolithic and parietal art of Eastern Asturias, and he has directed excavations at various archaeological sites. His talk will provide an overview of the key caves in Llanes that contain archaeological remains or Paleolithic rock art, discussing their significance in the region's prehistoric studies.
Entry to the conference is free, but prior reservation is required.
