Abstract
Nearly 200 karstic caves of the Meuse River Basin of Belgium preserve collective burials dated to the Late Neolithic. The gnathic remains from five well preserved sites provide an opportunity to explore potential relationship among these cave burials.
 The cave burials of Hastière Caverne M, Hastière Trou Garçon C, Maurenne Caverne de la Cave, Sclaigneaux and Bois Madame are dated to circa 4,635 to 3,830 years BP. Dental casts from mandibular and maxillary deciduous molars are scored using the ASUDAS.
 Carabelli’s trait varies from a small, Y-shaped depression to a full cusp, and the largest ones are found at Hastière Caverne M. The mandibular first molars have three to five cusps and the second molars have five, with one instance of six cusps at Bois Madame, which exceeds the range of variation for other dental traits. The hypoconulid ranges from small to very large. A metaconulid is absent or small. 
 Although the results are contingent on idiosyncratic preservation, differences in the frequencies of traits exist between the earlier cave burial from Hastière Caverne M and the late/final Neolithic burials of Sclaigneaux and Bois Madame, the latter of which is the most variable in the expression of dental traits. 
Highlights
The karstic caves of the Meuse River Basin in Belgium preserve nearly 200 collective burials dating to the late Neolithic period
River Basin of Belgium that preserve collective bur- cluding the actions of burrowing and scavenging ials dating to the late Neolithic
The aim of the study is to provide a regional review of the incidence and expression of crown traits on the maxillary and mandibular deciduous molars, and to examine the frequencies of traits across
Summary
The karstic caves of the Meuse River Basin in Belgium preserve nearly 200 collective burials dating to the late Neolithic period. The results are contingent on idiosyncratic preservation, differences in the frequencies of expression of Carabelli’s trait, a pronounced hypoconulid, and the presence of a metaconule and protostylid separate the earlier cave burial at Hastière Caverne M from the final/late Neolithic sites of Sclaigneaux and Bois Madame. Since habitation sites are rare, these funerary caves plorers, or the intentional manipulation of the reand rockshelters provide the principal source of mains by those who deposited the deceased Inteninformation about these prehistoric farmers of the tional manipulation may have several motivations, late Neolithic and the transition to the Bronze Age including burial rites, secondary reburial and cre-. Some tombs contain a single burial, About 40% of nearly 600 individuals excavated whereas others include two or more individuals from 34 sites along the Meuse river system are (Toussaint et al, 2001), the great majority subadults (Toussaint et al, 2001; Toussaint, 2007)
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