SILEX'S

About the museum

The thousands of flint flakes left on the ground at Spiennes long intrigued residents and collectors. In 1842 a regional newspaper reported the discovery of underground galleries by workers who had been extracting flint for the earthenware factories; these were then taken for “fossil caves”. In 1851 the Mons engineer Albert Toilliez suggested that these flints were the remains of axe-making workshops. The cutting of the Mons-Chimay railway line in 1867 yielded hundreds of artefacts and the remains of extinct animals, and Spiennes became a reference site in Europe. Between 1912 and 1914 the excavations of Alfred de Loë for the Musée du Cinquantenaire brought to light more than 1,500 tools.

Today the Walloon Heritage Agency carries out field research together with the Société de Recherche préhistorique en Hainaut, notably in an extraction shaft more than 10 metres deep that yielded human bones. The Neolithic flint mines are recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

SILEX'S opened its doors in April 2015. Designed by the architecture firm Holoffe et Vermeesch (Ciply), its circular building is inspired by the mines, protects the remains that had previously lain buried under the meadows and lets natural light in through a large shaft. It houses an excavation area, the museum route, an educational space and a projection room. The permanent route explains the Neolithic revolution, flint knapping and extraction techniques; a guided 10-metre descent into a real mine can complement it.

Highlights

• Guided descent by a vertical 10 m ladder into an authentic Neolithic mine
• Museum route on the Neolithic revolution, flint knapping and extraction
• Circular building inspired by the mines, with an active excavation area
• Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
• Four waymarked walks in the Natura 2000 area around the site

Permanent exhibitions

• Parcours permanent du SILEX'S – Three themed spaces: the Neolithic revolution, tools and flint knapping with a giant timeline and a virtual visit of the mines, and then extraction techniques.
• Descente dans une minière néolithique – Guided visit underground at 10 metres depth, in a real prehistoric flint mine.

Founded

2015

Operated by

Ville de Mons (Pôle muséal)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of each month (descents at 10:00, 11:30 and 14:00).

The site accepts the museumPASSmusées (valid during the museum season) and the Mons Card, which gives discounts.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A car park reserved for people with reduced mobility and for coaches is located near the site, rue du Point du Jour 300. The descent into the mines is by a vertical 10-metre ladder; it is prohibited for children under 10 and pregnant women, and not recommended for people who are claustrophobic, have heart problems or are prone to vertigo.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Playful booklets for 4–6 year-olds and 7–11 year-olds and nature booklets on the Natura 2000 area, free at reception; family descent from age 10; the educational service Dynamusée offers courses for 4–12 year-olds during school holidays.

Getting there & parking

GPS coordinates of the Place de Spiennes: 50,425435 ; 3,986929.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Shop, cloakroom and toilets, as listed by the VisitMons tourist portal.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit