More information : (TL 817898) Grime's Graves (NR) Flint Mines (NAT) (TL 81908981) Grimshoe (NAT) Tumulus (NR) (1)
See pamphlet. (2)
Grimshoe is not a very convincing round barrow; probably a dump of flint mining refuse. Evidence of Late Bronze Age occupation in the area has been found in at least nine places. The principal site, now cleared of all but young bushes, is in the care of the DOE and comprises nearly 300 recognisable pits, many overlapping and run together. Two pits at TL 81718988 and 81708992 have been excavated and are open to the public at times. Another at TL 81708967 has also been explored as can be seen from the spoil in the two adjacent pits to the NE and SW. There are two current excavations: a very deep pit at TL 81878993 by the DOE, at present covered by a temporary corrugated iron shed; at TL 81878977 by the British Museum. This latter is Canon Greenwell's original pit, and from re-excavation it is hoped to gain further clues regarding the location of the occupation site. Surface excavations have been conducted along the E and S perimeter. West of the main concentration, but within 150m, are a few more scattered pits, and to the NW, in an area 900m E-W by 400m N-S centred TL 811902, nearly 40 random pits could be identified. Depths range from the merest depression to 5.0m in the extreme in the main area, whilst the NW outliers are mostly shallow. Re-surveyed at 1:2500. (3)
Full Report on excavations 1971-72 (4)
Additional references (5-7)
The earthworks at Grimes Graves were surveyed by RCHME in April-May 1995 as part of the project to record industry and enclosure in the Neolithic. At the same time, documentary evidence relating to all known archaeological investigation at the site was examined (NOTE that Grimshoe has, as a result, been recorded separately as TL 88 NW 61). Today, the extant earthworks cover some 6 hectares, and represent some 433 flint mine shafts and associated spoil heaps. In general the smaller, shallow shafts lie on the northern and western slopes of the valley, while the larger, deeper depressions cluster in the south-west. The largest reaches over 20m in diameter, and the deepest is just over 3m in depth. A series of double, triple, and linear quarries are present within the complex, and these may represent two-level working. Shafts covering a further 4 hectares of the valley slope have been obscured by cultivation. A parchmark appearing to represent a penannular ring ditch of c20m diameter was recorded just to the south west of the extant earthworks. Earthworks on MOD land to the north of the mine complex, and referred to by the OS as mine-shafts, are in fact recent artillery positions.
The first major excavation was undertaken by William Greenwell in 1868-70, and represents the first occasion at which the existence of deep shaft and gallery flint mining was recognised in Britain. No further excavation appears to have occurred again until 1914, following erroneous suggestions that the mining may have been Palaeolithic rather than Neolithic in date. Subsequently numerous individuals undertook work at the site, most notably Leslie Armstrong whose excavations continued almost uninterrupted until 1939, although supporters of the Neolithic dating had won the argument by the late 1920s. Among Armstrong's most notable discoveries was the existence of considerable evidence for later, Bronze Age, activity at the site, as well as the fact that flint extraction in the Neolithic had covered a much wider area than that represented by the extant earthworks, and had taken a variety of forms. Among his more notorious discoveries were a number of flint flakes with incised designs, some apparently resembling animals, scratched into their outer surface. The apparently fortuitous similarity between some of these designs and examples of Palaeolithic cave art from the Dordogne and other areas did not escape attention at a time when the dating of the site was still in dispute. More notorious still was the carved chalk figurine, or "goddess" which, along with other items of carved chalk, was found at the bottom of Pit 15 during Armstrong's last summer at the site, 1939. Although long regarded as an authentic piece of Neolithic sculpture, there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to suggest that the piece is of rather more recent origin.
Excavations did not resume until the 1970s. Roger Mercer (1971-2, on behalf of the Dept of Environment) and the British Museum (1972-76) have ensured that Grime's Graves remains the most widely explored and best known flint mine in England, though ironically it differs from other known sites in a number of important respects. Most significant of these are:
i) date - mining at Grime's Graves was wholly Late Neolithic, occurring during the early to mid 3rd millennium BC. The others, where reliable dating evidence exists, belong to the Early Neolithic - the first half of the 4th millennium BC, with little indication of overlap;
ii) location - the other confirmed sites are all located on the chalk of Southern England, particularly the South Downs in Sussex;
iii) the clear association of Grooved Ware pottery with the mining process.
In addition to the Neolithic mining, the site has also produced extensive evidence for Bronze Age activity, something initially encountered by Armstrong and subsequently targeted by both Mercer and the British Museum. The Middle Bronze Age debris seems to comprise primarily midden material, with no indication of in situ occupation. The site has produced one of the largest collections of Deverel-Rimbury pottery so far found in southern England, as well as the largest assemblage of Middle Bronze Age metalworking debris, including mould fragments which appear to represent the casting of bronze spearheads.
For full details of the earthwork survey, see the RCHME Level 3 archive report, which also contains an account of the field walking, as well as plans and interpretative drawings of the earthworks. The original earthwork plan at 1:1000 scale, together with photographs of the earthworks and accessible mine shafts, are also held in the archive along with a more detailed account of archaeological work at the site and a fuller bibliography. (8)
Additional references. (8-29)
Anglo-Saxon in origin, the place name Grime's Graves is derived from the pagan god Grim and means 'Grim's quarries' or 'Devil's holes'. It was one of just ten Neolithic flint mines known to have existed in England, of which only six still exist as earthworks. It covers an area of 7.6 hectares and consists of 433 mineshafts, pits, quarries and spoil dumps.
Grime's Graves is a multi-phase site which dates back to the Neolithic period, with evidence of activity from around 3000 BC. There was very little Early Bronze Age activity on the site, however there is vast evidence of occupation during the Middle Bronze Age from circa 1500-1150 BC. While the remains of any houses are yet to be found, archaeologists have uncovered large middens, numerous pottery fragments, evidence of metal-working and a vast amount of worked flint. The middens revealed evidence of the production of textiles, as well as pottery manufacture and leather and wood working. The presence of wheat and barley seeds suggests crop cultivation and numerous types of animal bones indicate the consumption of meat and dairy products.
Evidence of Iron Age activity at Grime's Graves, from around 800BC to AD43, has been discovered in the form of pottery sherds of this date, as well as two inhumation burials. Pottery sherds dating to the Roman period (AD 43-410) are all that have been uncovered from this time, however the weathered nature of them suggest that they may have even been brought to the site after this period.
Grime's Graves is thought to have been owned by Broomehill Priory from 1224 and it may have been put to use as a rabbit warren. By the 16th century the site was used for grazing sheep. Coniferous woodland had been planted above the mines in around 1820 and it was well established by the middle of the century.
The site was first excavated in 1852 by Reverend Pettigrew and Reverend Manning. Reverend Manning excavated the site again in 1866. The records from these early digs were fairly poor however. The most significant excavation work was carried out in 1868-70 by Canon Greenwell who identified for the first time that flint mines were prehistoric sites.
Grime's Graves passed from the Forestry Commission into public ownership in 1931. It was designated as a Sit of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1985.
Questions have been raised as to why the flint was mined when there were adequate quantities available as surface deposits. Some argue that the deeper layers contained the better quality flint, especially for making axes and other large tools. While it wasn't essential to use mined flint to make large tools, it seems that mined flint was of a particular value to Neolithic people who mined in a small-scale fashion and carried out rituals within the mines. The two main tools produced at Grime's Graves were axes and discoidal knives, however cutting flakes, points and scrapers were also made. Tools made for piercing were also found, dating to the later Middle Bronze Age. (30)
This article highlights a new interpretive exhibition to open at Grime's Graves in 2010. It provides a brief overview of the site's history and questions why flint was mined here in the first place when there were sufficient amounts available on the surface. It is assumed that the mined flint was highly valued for aesthetic purposes and was quite different in appearance to surface flint. Furthermore, 'if it was prized for its beauty, then that would chime with evidence suggesting mining here was invested with important ceremonial purpose.' (31)
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