Spiennes

Spiennes is a place that belongs to the city of Mons (Ger. And nl. Bergen ) in Hainaut ( Belgium ). It is located about six kilometers southeast of Mons on the eastern edge of the Borinage coalfield .

Flint mines

Spiennes is particularly known for its Neolithic flint mines ( Camp à Cailloux , Petit Spiennes ), which have been on UNESCO's list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 2000 . The area with over 8000 shafts is one of the largest in Europe. The shafts are around 15 meters deep and cover an area of over 100 hectares. They were discovered in the 19th century when a railway line was being built. Their exploitation began around 4000 BC. BC ( Michelsberg culture ) and lasted until around 750 BC. BC, the flint stones mined there were found widespread.

In the Neolithic flint mines
In the flint mines

Other sights

The St. Amand Church in Spiennes

Church from 1753
Menhir of Haulchin
Gallo-Roman ( Belger ) burial place

literature

C. Guillaume, Ph. Lipinski & A. Masson: Les mines de silex neolithiques de la Meuse dans le contexte européen. Musées de la Meuse, Sampigny 1987.
F. Gosselin: Un site d'exploitation du silex à Spiennes (Hainaut), au lieu-dit “Petit-Spiennes”. Vie archéologique 22, 1986, 33-160.
F. Hubert: Une minière neolithique à silex au Camp-à-Cayaux de Spiennes. Archaeologia Belgica, 210, 1978.
F. Hubert: L'exploitation préhistorique du silex à Spiennes. Carnets du Patrimoine n ° 22. Ministère de la Région wallonne, Direction générale de l'Aménagement du Territoire, du Logement et du Patrimoine, Namur 1997.
R. Sheperd: Prehistoric Mining and Allied Industries. (Academic Press, London 1980).
Societe de recherches préhistoriques en Hainaut: Minières néolithiques à Spiennes (Petit-Spiennes). 1997
Gerd Weisgerber : 5000 years of flint mining: the search for the steel of the Stone Age. Exhibition in the German Mining Museum Bochum from October 24, 1980 to January 31, 1981. 3rd, improved and supplemented edition, Bochum, German Mining Museum, 1999.

Web links

Commons : Spiennes - collection of images, videos and audio files

Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
Homepage of the SRPH (La Société de Recherche préhistorique en Hainaut) (French and English)

50425 3.9861111111111Coordinates: 50 ° 26 ' N , 3 ° 59' E