8589356550

FLINT MINING OF CENTRAL F.UROPE 33

5. UNDERGROUND SHAFTS WITH NICHES

Underground shafts with niche workings are known at Krzemionki Opatowskie and Krasnoye Selo. The pre-scncc at the bottom of the shaft of high, wide niches which diminish in size the longcr they arc, i$ a charactc-ristic of this exploitation system. As the shafts of this kind from Krzemionki Opatowskie are known only from brief reports and schematic drawings (Fig. 47). we shall limit ourselves to deseribing shafts with niches from Krasnoye Selo. Shafts Nos 5, 9 and 127, all from the cutting IV are typical examples.

Shaft No 5 had the hole diameter 1.6-1.9 m and was 3.9 m decp (Fig. 48). The chalk in which it was sunk was very hard. In the north part, at the bottom there was a smali side working, cut into the wali to 60 cm and 50 cm high. In the south-west part of shaft, at a depth of 1 m,

1—

Fig. 47. Krzemionki Opatowskie, near Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Schematic cross-section and plan of schaft with nichc workings

Aftcr T.Żurowski

Fig. 48. Krasnoye Selo, Volkovysk dist. Shaft No 5 from excava

tion IV

After N.N.Gurina

Fig. 49. Krasnoye Selo, Volkovysk dist. Shafts No 9, 10 and 127 from cxcavation IV

After N.N.Gurina

5 — Przegląd Archeologiczny, t. 28