Grimes Graves

By Jacob Harbord

Grime’s Graves is a Neolithic flint mine that was dug around 5000 years ago (English Heritage 2015). The site is located near Lynford, Thetford, Norfolk and its original name was ‘Grim’s Graves’ which was a name given to the site by the Anglo-Saxons. The site consists of 400 ditches which used to be flint mines, the mines themselves are much more intricate underground with many pathways following where the veins of flint were. Grime’s Graves is one of two flint mines in the Norfolk area that was in use during the Neolithic period, meaning that it would have held great value for whoever could control it, as the flint could be used to create weapons and tools that could then be sold and traded to other groups (Barber et al 1999).

View across Grimes Graves (flickr)

The fieldwork at Grime’s Graves began in 1868 under the supervision of Reverend Canon Greenwell, with a second excavation once again being carried out by Greenwell, with the help of Lord Rosehill, in 1870 (Mercer 1981). Greenwell found a large shaft that ran 12m underground before branching off in multiple directions. The most important find however was the discovery of antler picks, four chalk lamps and a greenstone axe. These were the sort of materials that would be used to mine the flint that could be found in the mineshaft and underground tunnels. This discovery allowed Greenwell to solidify his claim that Grime’s Graves was a flint mine, although at the time the technology was not at hand to be able to date the tools and so he could not state when the mine was in use. A further interesting find from Greenwell’s excavation was the discovery of animal bones along with, a sort of shrine which had a chalk phallus and some enigmatic chalk carvings.

Interior of Grimes Graves (Wikipedia)

The next major excavation of the site came in 1914, with A. E. Peake leading the excavation. His team worked over a course of 6 weeks from 6th March – 30th April 1914 (Mercer, 1981, 11). The excavation was split in two, each stage focussing on one specific pit. The excavation of pit 1 took place between 6th March and 24th March 1914. Peake found some charcoal, a burnt antler, a selection of four axes and a knife. Peake came to the conclusion that this suggested that the shaft was used as a form of occupation for a short period of time. The further down Peake went, the more chalk fragments he found varying in size and shape. Finally, Peake reached the galleries, most of which had been backfilled. Only one was left open where the other 13 had been filled and required a degree of clearing before they could be excavated (Mercer 1981). The galleries showed signs of antler pick use and in the open gallery, a few fragments of pottery was found.

The second pit was excavated between 4th April and 30th April 1914, the shaft was 40ft deep. Within a few feet of the surface was a full buried skeleton next to what was described as a hearth. Further digging led to more occupation debris, mainly charcoal and animal bones, much like what was found in pit 1. Peake intended to continue work on Grime’s Graves, but the outbreak of WWI halted his progress. More, smaller, excavations took place in the decades that followed with the final major excavations coming between 1971-1972. The excavations were carried out by R. J. Mercer and focussed upon the surface of the site along with the mineshafts (Mercer 1981). Mercer managed to find a further two human skeletons along with a selection of tools. Mercer also uncovered some evidence of reoccupation sometime in the mid-Bronze aAge, as a small dump was found within one of the shafts with Bronze Age artefacts inside it. The method of excavation used by Mercer started with a division of the site. The first stage of the excavation started with a surface excavation then went onto stage two, which involved excavating the mineshafts themselves (Mercer 1981). The usual sort of techniques were used during the surface excavation, ranging from a contour survey to field walking. This then led to a series of excavations into the surface on a 5m grid, these were then extended. The shafts were then excavated, with all of the debris being put through a 1cm mesh sieve.

From these excavations it is commonly believed that Grime’s Graves was a major mining site from the Neolithic period. However, with the evidence of burials and also the evidence of occupation debris, it is possible to suggest that the site was used as more than just a mine. The charcoal suggests that people lived in the mineshafts for some period of time and the burials show that the site was used for more than just a way of obtaining flint. As far as the archaeological remains at the site, Grime’s Graves offers a pattern of similar objects being found in the different shafts that were excavated between 1868 and 1972. Antler picks and axes featured in many of the shafts along with human remains, which could have potentially be the remains of miners who died within the mineshaft. Linking back to the fact that this is one of two flint mines in the Norfolk area during the Neolithic period, I would say that the community that worked this mine were more than likely powerful and rich, due to the fact that flint was the primary material for making tools during this period, meaning the possibility of trade would have reaped lucrative trade goods such as food and animal hides.

Bibliography

Mercer R. J. (1981) Grimes Graves, Norfolk: Excavations 1971-72: Volume I. Swindon: English Heritage.

Barber M., Field D. & Topping P. (1999) The Neolithic Flint Mines of England. Swindon: English Heritage.

English Heritage (2015) Grimes Graves – Prehistoric Flint Mine. Available online: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/grimes-graves-prehistoric-flint-mine/ [Accessed 14/11/2015]