Scouring the web, some sites say the mines are neolithic but EH has a <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=MainFrame&URL1=http%3A//www.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp%3Fwci%3DNode%26wce%3D7407">book</a> out about flint mines that says no..

"A brief history of archaeological investigation of flint mines places past excavations and interpretations into a broader context of changing academic and interpretative frameworks. Only ten sites have in fact produced evidence for Neolithic extraction, while another two seem highly probable, but lack definite evidence. Among the forty-four rejected are some of the most frequently mentioned in the archaeological literature, such as Great Massingham in Norfolk, and Windover Hill in East Sussex."

On <a href="http://www2.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/wilmington.html#arch">this page</a> conflicting evidence:

"Flint was mined on the hill in the Neolithic period and the filled in mine shafts can still be seen. These mines were identified early this century by Dr. Curwen but were only confirmed by excavation in 1971. A flint axe head similar to one found at Coombe Hill was found near to Windover Hill. Other large open cast mines above and to the giants left are Edwardian." but later on

"It has been suggested that the mutilation mentioned above was an original part of the construction as the ditch around the damaged part doesn't seem to be affected. The small part of barrow that is cut off by the damage is slightly lower and wider than the main part, and the whole, looked at as the original construction, has a very phallic look to it, the head off the phallus pointing towards the head of the long man." &

"The next road is probably Roman and comes in from the same direction to the west as the coach road but takes a steeper path across the summit of Windover Hill passing very close to the southern edges of all three of the barrows on Windover Hill before heading in the direction of Eastbourne. There has been suggestion by Rodney Castleden that this middle road is actually a Cursus performing a ritual function."

*shrug*

Sorry, I've just realised I didn't tell you what “The Wilmington Giant” says about the flint mines.

Castleden writes about them under the assumption of a Neolithic origin. On page 132 he comments that most Neolithic flint mining occured in the "flint-rich Actinocamax quadratus zone of the chalk", about one third of the way down the scarp slope, whereas on Windover Hill they worked the "Micraster" zone. This also, he says, seems to be the only place where the principle escarpment of the Downs was worked.

He speculates that this might have been due to the significance of THAT hilltop. One could also say that it might imply a lack of Neolithic expertise of course.