Papers from the Flint Mining in Prehistoric Europe session held at European Association of Archaeologists 12th Annual Meeting Cracow, Poland, 19th-24th September 2006. Contents: 1) Flint extraction and processing from secondary flint deposits in the north-east of Scotland in the Neolithic period (Alan Saville); 2) Flint working at the early linearbandkeramik settlement of Geleen-Janskamperveld (Marjorie E. Th. de Grooth); 3) An economy of surplus production in the early Neolithic of Hesbaye (Belgium): Bandkeramik blade debitage at Verlaine 'Petit Paradis' (Pierre Allard, Laurence Burnez-Lanotte); 4) The prehistoric flint mining complex at Spiennes (Belgium) on the occasion of its discovery 140 years ago (Helene Collet, Anne Hauzeur, Jacek Lech); 5) A new flint mine at Flins-sur-Seine/ Aubergenville (Yvelines, France) (Francoise Bostyn, Francois Giligny, Adrienne Lo Carmine); 6) The Krzemionki flint mines latest underground research 2001-2004 (Jerzy Babel); 7) Open-cast flint mining, long blade production and long distance exchange: an example from Bulgaria (Laurence Manolakakis); 8) Flint mining in early Neolithic Iberia: a preliminary report on 'Casa Montero' (Madrid, Spain) (Marta Capote, Nuria Castaneda, Susana Consuegra,Cristina Criado, Pedro Diaz-del-Rio); 9) Intensive extraction of non-metallic minerals during the early protohistory in the northern half of Europe (Yoann Gauvry); 10) Ideology and influences behind the Neolithic flint mines of the Southern Britain (Paul Wheeler).

Seven papers from the session on Lithics and the Early and Middle Neolithic Chronology in France given at the EAA conference in Lyon in 2004. Work on lithic materials in the widest sense has developed considerably over the last two decades, leading to an almost complete renewal of methods and objectives. From the 1980s onwards there emerged methods which have become classic: investigation of raw materials, creation of reference collections (lithotheques), characterization of procurement modes, studies of technology and analyses of use-wear. Relative chronology, mainly established through study of decorated ceramics, is still an essential aspect of our discipline and new data have stimulated debate on the relations between various cultural groups de fined on stylistic grounds. This volume aims to review the contribution of lithic studies in both France and neighbouring regions for establishing the cultural sequences of the early and middle N Papers in French and English.

This book presents the results of field research and experimental archaeology on Neolithic flint axe production sites and flint mines in the Seine valley (west from Paris) between 2000 and 2010. The first chapter discusses the research history, the cultural and chronological framework of axe production sites in the Paris Basin. The second chapter presents the research results and documentation. The raw materials for the axe production came from the flint mines of Flins-sur-Siene, where Bartonien Flint was mined. This is the subject of the third chapter. The site was first identified in the 1920's by amateur archaeologists. The data collected at Flins-sur-Seine (geological context, production waste, density of mine shafts) indicates that this mine is very similar to the mines at Jablines. However, no excavations had thus far been carried out at this site. The field research involved geophysical surveys and field walking which led to the identification of workshops and extraction sites. Chapter 4 presents the results of experiments carried out with re-creating mineshafts in 2003. Chapter 5 presents results of other axe workshop sites in the area. These include excavations results and inventarisation of finds in museums. This chapter also discusses the use and findcontext of the axes. The final chapter is a synthesis and places the site in a wider contextual framework. The focus lies on other sites in the Paris basin, questions about territories, production/distribution sites. The technological system and its structuration in terms of specialisation and apprenticeship and its meaning among the regional Neolithic cultures.