Krzemionki

Krzemionki is a flint mine, which is about eight kilometers (direct distance ) north-east is the Polish city Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in the Świętokrzyskie ( Holy Cross Mountains).

Krzemionki is the largest flint mine in Europe. The degraded banded flint was processed mainly to hatchets. The wells are about 2,000 four to twelve feet deep. It was mined Jurassic Flint, which is characterized by its harness. In one of the bays there is a small rock painting. The flint mining in Krzemionki began about 3900 BC and lasted until about 1600 BC The mine was used in the Neolithic period by members of the Funnel Beaker culture. Here, the Krzemionki flint widespread up to 300 km. The Kugelamphoren culture used the pits even more intense and widespread the flint about 500 km. Even in the Bronze Age Krzemionki was significant and the flint but spread significantly only about 60 km.

History of Research

The shafts were discovered in 1922 by January Samsonowicz since found multiple excavations were carried out. The shafts and impact sites were partially damaged by the mining of limestone for steel production. The plant belongs to the Archaeological Museum in Warsaw.

Museum

Today, the reference is an archaeological reserve with several shelters in which a museum presentation is located. The shafts are partially open to the public. The surface trenches is covered by forest. On the site there is also an open air museum with life-size models of some prehistoric houses.