Cissbury Ring, Iron Age hillfort and Neolithic flint mine in West Sussex, England.
Cissbury Ring is a hilltop enclosure and ancient flint extraction site in West Sussex. The site features visible earthen banks, ditches, and around 270 shallow depressions scattered across the slopes where stone tools were mined thousands of years ago.
Mining for flint tools started during the Neolithic period, then fortifications were built much later during the Iron Age. The layers of activity show this hilltop served different purposes across many centuries.
The site's name comes from the rounded shape of its fortifications, and it remains a place where people feel connected to ancient life. Visitors walk the same ridges that miners and settlers once used for trade and daily work.
The site has open walking paths with signage and informational panels placed at key spots. Visitors should expect uneven ground and windy conditions on the exposed hilltop, so sturdy footwear and weather protection help.
The mine shafts descend deep into chalk layers, showing the extraordinary effort ancient people put into extraction work. This labor produced sharp-edged tools that became essential for survival and trade across the region.
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