Flint Mines of Spiennes

The flint mines at Spiennes were worked from around 4300 to 2200 BC and cover something like a hundred hectares, which makes them among the largest and earliest concentrations of prehistoric mining in Europe. The miners sank vertical shafts up to sixteen metres through chalk to reach a good flint seam and then drove horizontal galleries out from the bottom, using antler picks, and worked the flint into axes on the surface. A modern visitor centre opened in 2015 above the site, and the visit includes a descent by ladder into one of the shafts to see the galleries, which is the reason to come and which is limited to small groups. The surrounding fields are still scattered with worked flakes.

What you actually see

• A descent into a shaft - by ladder to the galleries sixteen metres down.
• Neolithic gallery workings - horizontal drives following the flint seam.
• Antler pick marks - the tools' traces on the chalk.
• Worked flint in the fields - flakes scattered over the surface.

When to go

April to October, on set days with timed guided visits only. Two to three hours. Descents are in small groups and must be booked ahead; they are the whole point of coming.

Honest expectations

The descent is by vertical ladder into a narrow shaft and is unsuitable for many people; there are age and fitness conditions. Visits are on limited days and book out. Without the descent the site is a field and a small centre. Guides are French-speaking.

Nearby

Mons is north-west; Bois-du-Cazier lies east.