Learning by Experience: The Flint Mines of Southern E ngland and Their Continental Origins

Summary Since the discovery of prehistoric flint mines across E urope during the nineteenth century, mining has been recognized as a central component of the N eolithic ‘package’. In the south of B ritain a small group of mines date to the early fourth millennium BC , posing a problem for traditional interpretations of the E arly N eolithic, as they appear a significant period of time before other N eolithic monuments. This paper will look at evidence preserved in the mines of southern E ngland, examining whether these sites demonstrate flint‐mining techniques already practised in Continental E urope. Central to the research is a notion that complex activities, such as mining, involve long periods of trial and error before evolving into an accomplished working methodology.