Flint mining is the process of extracting

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

from underground. Flint mines can be as simple as a pit on the surface or an area of

quarrying A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their s ...

, or it may refer to a series of shafts and

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

s used to extract

. Flint has been mined since the

Palaeolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

, but was most common during the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

. Flint was especially valued in

prehistory Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...

for its use in

weaponry A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law e ...

. Although flint is not as valuable a resource in modern times, a few flint mines remain in operation even today (for example at Miorcani).

List of flint mines

*Austria ** **"Am Feuerstein" in

Kleinwalsertal Kleinwalsertal is a valley in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg and part of the Bregenz district. It includes the municipality of Mittelberg and consists of three villages along the River Breitach. Due to the geographic location in the All ...

(

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest popu ...

) *Belgium **The

Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes The Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes are among the largest and earliest Neolithic flint mines which survive in north-western Europe, located close to the Walloon village of Spiennes, southeast of Mons, Belgium. The mines were active during th ...

**Jandrain-Jandrenouille (

Orp-Jauche Orp-Jauche (; ; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2008, Orp-Jauche had a total population of 8,400. The total area is 50.50 km² which gives a population density of 159 inhabita ...

) *Denmark **Hov (near

Thisted Thisted is a town in the municipality of Thisted in the North Denmark Region of Denmark. It has a population of 13,505 (1 January 2025)Qena Qena ( ' , locally: ) is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known in antiquity as Kaine (Greek Καινή, meaning "new (city)"; Latinized transliteration: Caene) and ...

) **

Nazlet Khater Nazlet Khater is an archeological site located in Upper Egypt that has yielded evidence of early human culture and anatomically modern specimens dating to approximately thirty to fifty thousand years ago. Excavations at the Nazlet Khater 2 site ...

(Upper Egypt) *France ** located between

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

and

Falaise, Calvados Falaise () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. The town is famous for being ...

** **

Le Grand-Pressigny Le Grand-Pressigny () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. There is a Chalcolithic flint mine located in the commune. It produced an unusual caramel-coloured stone which appears to have been highly prized across Eur ...

*Germany **Lengfeld (near

Bad Abbach Bad Abbach () is a municipality in the district of Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany. Due to its sulphurous springs it has the status of a spa town. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor Henry II (; ; ; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024 AD), also known as Saint H ...

). ** near

Abensberg Abensberg () is a town in the Lower Bavarian Districts of Germany, district of Kelheim (district), Kelheim, in Bavaria, Germany, lying around southwest of Regensburg, east of Ingolstadt, northwest of Landshut and north of Munich. It is situa ...

**Asch (near

Blaubeuren Blaubeuren () is a town in the district of Alb-Donau near Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. it had 11,963 inhabitants. Geography Geographical location The core city Blaubeuren lies at the foot of the Swabian Jura, west of Ulm. Neighbori ...

) **Baiersdorf (near

Essing Essing is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany. It lies on the river Altmühl The Altmühl (, )
s ...

) **Kleinkems in

Efringen-Kirchen Efringen-Kirchen is a municipality in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Fortifications During World War I fortifications were built at Istein; these were destroyed at the end of the war. In 1936 plans were drawn up to tur ...

**Lousberg in

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

Bottmersdorf Bottmersdorf is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Wanzleben-Börde Wanzleben-Börde is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It ...

Osterberg Osterberg is a municipality in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to ...

**On

Rügen Rügen (; Rani: ''Rȯjana'', ''Rāna''; , ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic ci ...

island there are the exposed flint fields between Mukran and Prora **

Schernfeld Schernfeld is a municipality in the district of Eichstätt in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alp ...

*Great Britain **

Beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

(

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

) **

Blackpatch Blackpatch is an archaeological site in West Sussex, England, about west of the village of Findon and about north-west of Worthing. It is the site of a Neolithic flint mine, and Bronze Age barrows. The site is a scheduled monument. Descript ...

, West Sussex **

Grimes Graves Grime's Graves is a large Neolithic flint mining complex in Norfolk, England. It lies north east from Brandon, Suffolk in the East of England. It was worked between 2600 and 2300 BCE, although production may have continued throug ...

near Brandon, close to the border between

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

and

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

Cissbury Cissbury Ring is an biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Worthing in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and is designated a Scheduled monument for its Neolithic flint mine and Iron Age hillfort. Cissbury Ring is ...

Church Hill, West Sussex Church Hill is an archaeological site, of the Neolithic Britain, Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age periods, in West Sussex, England. It is on the South Downs near the village of Findon, West Sussex, Findon and about north-west of Wort ...

Harrow Hill, West Sussex Harrow Hill is an archaeological site in West Sussex, England. It is on the South Downs about north of the village of Angmering and north-west of Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of ...

Penmaenmawr Penmaenmawr (, ) is a town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, which was formerly in the parish of Dwygyfylchi and the traditional county of Caernarfonshire. It is on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan and was an ...

Conwy County Borough Conwy County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the north Wales, north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to the east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay, and Conwy is the administrativ ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

*Hungary ** Tata **

Szentgál Szentgál is a village in Veszprém county, Hungary. It is best known for the series of caves in the surrounding area. Notable residents * József Bánóczi József Bánóczi (July 4, 1849 – 1926) was a Hungarians, Hungarian Jewish scholar ...

*Netherlands ** ** *Pakistan **Flint quarries in Rohri Hills and Ongar (

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

province) *Poland **

Krzemionki Krzemionki, also Krzemionki Opatowskie (, " Opatów silica-mine"), is a Neolithic and early Bronze Age complex of flint mines for the extraction of Upper Jurassic ( Oxfordian) banded flints located about eight kilometers north-east of the Polish ...

**Wierzbica "Zele" ** Orońsko II **Skałecznica Duża **Korycizna **Sąspów **Krunio **Borownia **Bębło **Rybniki *Romania **Outside the village of Miorcani, there is a modern flint mine ** Piatra Tomii near the village of Răcătau *Spain **Casa Montero *Switzerland **between

Olten Olten (; High Alemannic: ''Oute'') is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name. Olten grew into a town during the Middle Ages at the location of a bridge over the Aare. After a period of de ...

and Wangen bei Olten ** Lägern between

Wettingen Wettingen is a residential community in the district of Baden in the Swiss canton of Aargau. With a population about 20,000, Wettingen is the second-largest municipality in the canton. Geography Wettingen is located on the right bank of the Li ...

and Regensberg **Löwenburg ( Pleigne,

Canton of Jura The Republic and Canton of Jura (officially in ), less formally the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura ( ; ), is the newest (founded in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capital is Delémont. It shar ...

) *USA **

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is a U.S. national monument in the state of Texas. For thousands of years, people came to the red bluffs above the Canadian River for flint, vital to their existence. Demand for the high-quality, rainbow ...

References

External links

*http://www.flintsource.net/ *{{usurped,
Article title
} *https://web.archive.org/web/20120415063337/http://bioge.ubbcluj.ro/~otis.crandell/cart/ *http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba72/feat2.shtml
'Globalising archaeology: producing tools in the Neolithic
on Google Arts& Culture Prehistoric mines

List of flint mines

Further reading

See also

References

External links