Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons)*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Section of mines at Spiennes
State Party	Belgium
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv
Reference	1006
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2000  (24th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Spiennes is a Walloon village in the municipality of Mons, Belgium.

It is well known for its neolithic flint mines^[1], which are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The entry on the list describes them as "the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe" and cites the level of human technological development they demonstrate as justification for their inclusion.^[2]

Neolithic mines of Spiennes

The mines cover some 100 hectares of downland near Mons in Belgium and are interesting for showing the transition between opencast and underground mining for the flint nodules. The nodules were extracted using deer antler picks. The stones were then knapped into rough-out shapes of axes, and finally polished to achieve the final state.

Late Stone Age flint axe, about 31 cm long

The rough-outs were traded over a wide area, and were often polished at their destination. Polishing strengthens the final product, making the axe-head last longer. The axes were used initially for forest clearance during the early Neolithic period, and for shaping wood for structural applications, such as timber for huts and canoes.

Deer antler pick

[edit] Other sites

The site is comparable with Grimes Graves and Cissbury in Britain, which were also sources of flint. Other hard rocks were used for making polished stone axes however. There are many locations in Britain where fine-grained igneous or metamorphic rocks were collected from screes or mined opencast, then roughed out locally before trading on to other parts of the country. Examples include the Langdale axe industry, Penmaenmawr and Tievebulliagh.

[edit] See also

• Cissbury
• Flint
• Grimes Graves
• Stone axe

[edit] References

1. ^ "Neolithic Flint Mines of Petit-Spiennes : Official web site". http://www.minesdespiennes.org/en.html. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
2. ^ "Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons)". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2000. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1006/. Retrieved 2007-03-16. 

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Belgium Belfries of Belgium and France (with France) · Bruges (historic centre) · Flemish Béguinages · Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Rœulx, Hainault · Grand-Place, Brussels · Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta, Brussels · Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons) · Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tournai · Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex · Stoclet House

Villages of the municipality of Mons

Mons · Ciply · Cuesmes · Flénu · Ghlin · Harmignies · Harveng · Havré · Hyon · Jemappes · Maisières · Mesvin · Nimy · Nouvelles · Obourg · Saint-Denis · Saint-Symphorien · Spiennes · Villers-Saint-Ghislain

Coordinates: 50°25′50.8″N 3°58′43.6″E / 50.430778°N 3.978778°E / 50.430778; 3.978778