April 27, 2023
April 27, 2023

Grime’s Graves – Prehistoric Flint Mine

Grime’s Graves is a large Neolithic flint mining complex in Norfolk, England. It lies 8 km north east from Brandon, Suffolk in the East of England. It was worked between c. 2600 and c. 2300 BC, although production may have continued well into the Bronze and Iron Ages owing to the low cost of flint compared with metals. Flint was much in demand for making polished stone axes in the Neolithic period. Much later, when flint had been replaced by metal tools, flint nodules were in demand for other uses, such as for building and as strikers for muskets. Grime’s Graves was first extensively explored by the 19th-century archeologist William Greenwell. The scheduled monument extends over an area of some 37 ha and consists of at least 433 shafts dug into the natural chalk to reach seams of flint. The largest shafts are more than 14 m deep and 12 m in diameter at the surface. It has been calculated that more than 2,000 tonnes of chalk had to be removed from the larger shafts, taking 20 men around five months, before stone of sufficient quality was reached.

Categories
Use search to find relevant posts.
61 Bridge Street
Kingdon
Herts
Top locations – from restaurants and clubs, to galleries, famous places Local Business Directory - Events - Jobs - Classifieds and so much more...
© 2023 All Rights Reserved By StepInto Group Ltd
crossmenu