Prehistoric Flint Mines in Europe

This volume offers a review of major flint mines dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The 18 articles were contributed by archaeologists from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden, using the same framework to propose a uniform view of the mining phenomenon.

Prehistoric Flint Mines in Europe presents the results of the UISPP Commission, Flint Mining in Pre- and Protohistoric Europe. It offers a review of major flint mines dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The eighteen articles were contributed by archaeologists from ten countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden – using the same framework in order to propose a uniform view of the mining phenomenon. At the same time the book reflects various research methods and traditions. Each article deals successively with the geographical and geological context, mining zone topography, research history, methods of exploitation of raw material, dating of archaeological features and structures, characteristics of lithic production, organization of labour, miners’ settlements, distribution of products and symbolic aspects of mining activity. Part I includes the well-known flint mines at Spiennes in Belgium, Grime’s Graves in England and Rijckholt-Sint Geertruid in the Netherlands, as well as the equally fascinating Defensola mine from Italy. Part II contains presentations of other European flint mines. The book is abundantly illustrated with large, colour photographs and drawings, and is aimed not only at archaeologists, who will find valuable data and further literature, but also at any reader seeking up-to-date information on prehistoric flint mining communities in Europe.

Introduction About the beginnings of prehistoric archaeology, studies of stone artifacts and ancient flint mines - Francoise Bostyn, Jacek Lech and Dagmara H. Werra Part I: Key Sites of Prehistoric Flint Mining in Europe Chapter 1: The Early Neolithic mine of Defensola and the Gargano Promontory (Italy) - Attilio Galiberti and Massimo Tarantini Chapter 2: The mining complex at Rijckholt-St Geertruid (Eijsden-Margraten, Limburg NL) - Marjorie E. Th. de Grooth , Jos Deeben*, Jan Willem de Kort and Jose Schreurs Chapter 3: The Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes (Belgium) - Helene Collet and Jean-Philippe Collin Chapter 4: Grime's Graves (England) - Frances Healy, Peter Topping and Gillian Varndell Part II: Some other European Flint Mines Chapter 5: The Flint Mine of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain) Making Society in Early Neolithic Europe - Pedro Diaz-del-Rio, Susana Consuegra, Nuria Castaneda, Enrique Capdevila, Marta Capote, Cristina Criado, Cristina Casas and Aurora Nieto Chapter 6: The Chocolate Flint Mine of Tomaszow (Poland) - Romuald Schild Chapter 7: Saspow near Cracow (Poland). A Neolithic flint mine of the Danubian communities - Jacek Lech Chapter 8: Neolithic Chert Extraction and Processing on the Southeastern Swabian Alb (Asch-Borgerhau, Germany) - Lynn E. Fisher, Corina Knipper, Susan K. Harris and Rainer Schreg Chapter 9: The Late Neolithic opencast flint mining and axehead blank production on the Lousberg in Aachen (Germany) - Daniel Schyle and Jurgen Weiner Chapter 10: The Nagytevel flint mine (Hungary) - Katalin T. Biro and Judit Regenye Chapter 11: Flintmining at Sodra Sallerup (Sweden) - Elisabeth Rudebeck, Anders Hogberg, Deborah Olausson in cooperation with Asa Berggren Chapter 12: Cissbury and the South Downs Flint Mines, Sussex (England) - David Field Chapter 13: The neolithic flint mine at Jablines, 'le Haut-Chateau' (Seine-et-Marne, France) - Francoise Bostyn Chapter 14: The Flint Mine of Ri-Ronai (Orne, Basse-Normandie, France) - Emmanuel Ghesquiere, Cyril Marcigny with the collaboration of Francois Charraud, David Giazzon, Sebastien Giazzon, and Laurent Juhel Chapter 15: The Neolithic quarries at Plancher-les-Mines (Haute-Saone, France), 5th and 4th millennia cal BC- Pierre Petrequin Chapter 16: 'Les Orlets' and 'Le Grand Bois Marot' at Villemaur-sur-Vanne (Aube): face to face in the Pays d'Othe mining complex - Pierre-Arnaud de Labriffe Chapter 17: Borownia (Poland). A mine of striped flint from the Early Bronze Age - Jacek Lech Chapter 18: Wierzbica ?Zele' (Poland). A flint mine from the Bronze Age - Jacek Lech and Dagmara H. Werra, Introduction About the beginnings of prehistoric archaeology, studies of stone artifacts and ancient flint mines – Françoise Bostyn, Jacek Lech and Dagmara H. Werra Part I: Key Sites of Prehistoric Flint Mining in Europe Chapter 1: The Early Neolithic mine of Defensola and the Gargano Promontory (Italy) – Attilio Galiberti and Massimo Tarantini Chapter 2: The mining complex at Rijckholt-St Geertruid (Eijsden-Margraten, Limburg NL) – Marjorie E. Th. de Grooth , Jos Deeben*, Jan Willem de Kort and José Schreurs Chapter 3: The Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes (Belgium) – Hélène Collet and Jean-Philippe Collin Chapter 4: Grime’s Graves (England) – Frances Healy, Peter Topping and Gillian Varndell Part II: Some other European Flint Mines Chapter 5: The Flint Mine of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain) Making Society in Early Neolithic Europe – Pedro Díaz-del-Río, Susana Consuegra, Nuria Castañeda, Enrique Capdevila, Marta Capote, Cristina Criado, Cristina Casas and Aurora Nieto Chapter 6: The Chocolate Flint Mine of Tomaszów (Poland) – Romuald Schild Chapter 7: Sąspów near Cracow (Poland). A Neolithic flint mine of the Danubian communities – Jacek Lech Chapter 8: Neolithic Chert Extraction and Processing on the Southeastern Swabian Alb (Asch-Borgerhau, Germany) – Lynn E. Fisher, Corina Knipper, Susan K. Harris and Rainer Schreg Chapter 9: The Late Neolithic opencast flint mining and axehead blank production on the Lousberg in Aachen (Germany) – Daniel Schyle and Jürgen Weiner Chapter 10: The Nagytevel flint mine (Hungary) – Katalin T. Biró and Judit Regenye Chapter 11: Flintmining at Södra Sallerup (Sweden) – Elisabeth Rudebeck, Anders Högberg, Deborah Olausson in cooperation with Åsa Berggren Chapter 12: Cissbury and the South Downs Flint Mines, Sussex (England) – David Field Chapter 13: The neolithic flint mine at Jablines, ‘le Haut-Château’ (Seine-et-Marne, France) – Françoise Bostyn Chapter 14: The Flint Mine of Ri-Ronai (Orne, Basse-Normandie, France) – Emmanuel Ghesquière, Cyril Marcigny with the collaboration of François Charraud, David Giazzon, Sébastien Giazzon, and Laurent Juhel Chapter 15: The Neolithic quarries at Plancher-les-Mines (Haute-Saône, France), 5th and 4th millennia cal BC– Pierre Pétrequin Chapter 16: ‘Les Orlets’ and ‘Le Grand Bois Marot’ at Villemaur-sur-Vanne (Aube): face to face in the Pays d’Othe mining complex – Pierre-Arnaud de Labriffe Chapter 17: Borownia (Poland). A mine of striped flint from the Early Bronze Age – Jacek Lech Chapter 18: Wierzbica ʻZeleʼ (Poland). A flint mine from the Bronze Age – Jacek Lech and Dagmara H. Werra