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The northwestern Iberian Peninsula has been well known for its mineral wealth since classical times, including for gold and for tin. In fact, the Iberian tin belt is the largest in western Europe (covering an area of c.200,000 km2), containing tin deposits that were accessible from ancient times. Nevertheless, few archaeological studies have been d...
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... records on ancient tin mining, The Early Tin Iberian Group was formed in 2010 as a synergy between researchers from several institutions in Spain, Portugal and France, sharing an interest for tin in antiquity. Being an interdisciplinary group it aims to broaden the study of ancient tin in North West Iberia in a variety of directions ( Fig. 1), such as documentary research, archaeometallurgical analysis and fi eld survey to recognise ancient mining works and sample cassiterite, relying on the expertise of each researcher and institution. The group also integrates ethnological data to generate interpretative models and perform experiments with the aim of producing tin and ...
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... developed; nevertheless, the presence of tin slags has now been confi rmed. The results even show some similarities with the Centum Cellas examples (see above; Merideth 1996): the tin content varies considerably although is frequently upwards of ~30%, and the signifi cant percentages of the elements niobium, titanium and tantalum are also present (Fig. 10), which are common occurrences in cassiterite from the Iberian tin ...
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... resulting list was used to prepare a map (Fig. 11), which presents the recorded mining sites, distinguishing the ancient ones from the modern or undated ones. 7 The wide, spatial spread of tin mining works is notable, despite the empty zones that result from the limitations of geological surveys. Another point of interest is the known location of ancient works in many areas, despite ...
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... of tin. All the experiments were conducted in small-scale open fi re structures, as a small pit dug into the ground. Fluxes were never added, and in some cases clay crucibles were used, while in others the reduction was made directly at the bottom of the pit. Two bellows were always used, with the tuyeres directed to the centre of the pit (Fig. 12). Variations in the bellows design, size and depth of the pit were included in some of the ...
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The warrior stelae, also called southwestern stelae or western stelae, emerge as one of the most characteristic manifestations of the Bronze Age in Iberia. Since the earliest findings more than a century ago, these monoliths have received great attention from scholars, becoming the subject of an intense debate, without a consensus having been reach...
Citations
... For instance, Cornwall (Penhallurick, 1986), Brittany (de Veslud & Siepi, 2017), and the Slovakian tin deposits (Kusik, 2015) have clear archeological evidence or being active during these times. In contrast, current archeological evidence indicates large tin deposits in Germany (Erzgebirge (Breiter, 2014;Tolksdor et al., 2020)), Spain (Galacia (Figueiredo et al., 2022;Gimeno-Garcia et al., 1995;Lima et al., 2017;Rey et al., 2016)), and Tajikistan (Mushiton (Garner, 2020)) were not producing tin metal in Viking and early medieval times (or at least so ar there is no evidence o their production). Although Variscan cassiterite-bearing shales occur in Sudetenland (e.g., Gierczyn and Krobica) (Zygo et al., 2022), no evidence o historical mining exists. ...
The lack o historically known tin deposits in Poland requires that the source o tin metal in ancient artiacts must be derived rom oreign sources. To identiy these external sources in the Viking Period, a combination o Pb and Sn isotope compositions and trace element analyses on a group o tin and tin rich alloys rom three settlements in Poland was conducted. The integration o the chemical techniques reveals several sources or the tin rich arti-acts, where group: 1) possesses Pb isotope values that overlap the Europe array which possess the highest (+1.6 ‰) and lowest (1.1 ‰) Sn isotope values coupled with elevated In concentrations 2) has Pb isotope values that overlap the Slovakian array which possess lower Sn isotope values (+0.1 ‰ to + 0.3 ‰) coupled with low In and Te concentrations 3) has a Pb isotope value that is radiogenic which possesses a high Sn isotope value (+1.1 ‰). Group 1 artiacts are split into two sources designated by the higher Sn isotope values rom Cornwall and the lower Sn isotope values rom Brittany and are ound in the two coastal settlements. Group two artiacts match a Slovakian origin, while one artiact labeled in group three possesses an Anatolian source. Dening the tin rich artiact sources allows constraint o the tin sources or the mixed alloys like bronze and pewter. In this instance the tin isotope values all within two sources dened by the tin metal artiacts, Brittany and Cornwall. The chemical approach presented here denes distal metal sources to reveal a geographically expansive interconnected tin trade network that was predominantly European, in Viking times through chemical analysis o ornaments, coins, and beads.
... Thus, although there is evidence of exploitation in some areas detected thanks to systematic surveying (Meredith 1998a, b;Rodríguez Díaz et al. 2013;Rodríguez Díaz et al. 2019), we do not know the reality of other parts of our study area (Comendador Rey et al. 2017). Alternatively, our goal has been to create a general distribution map that allowed us to define tin rich areas-in which prehistoric exploitation would have been more likely to occur-in contrast to those other regions with no evidence of tin mineralization. ...
The warrior stelae, also called southwestern stelae or western stelae, emerge as one of the most characteristic manifestations of the Bronze Age in Iberia. Since the earliest findings more than a century ago, these monoliths have received great attention from scholars, becoming the subject of an intense debate, without a consensus having been reached on their meaning and sense. A slow but steady trickle of new findings, as well as the implementation of new approaches to their study, has only enriched these discussions in recent years. One of the most successful lines has been the spatial analysis focused on the relationship of these monuments with routes, transit areas, and resources of great value. It is within this line that this article explores the potential relationship that the stelae may have had with a critical mineral resource: the tin ores distributed in western Iberia, which is the highest concentration of this mineral in Europe. To do this, a detailed spatial analysis has been conducted in order to explore if the uneven density of these monuments across western Iberia may be linked with the presence of tin ores or, alternatively, with the control of the routes that allowed the circulation of this mineral by land.
... The use of these ores for ancient bronze production is commonly admitted, as is their distribution to areas in need of tin. Despite this, data is scarce to validate hypothesis on the supra-regional volume of extraction, the techniques of production and the uses and the circulation of tin (Comendador Rey et al. 2017;Meunier 2019). Regarding the first millennium BC, and beyond the well-known case of the Cerro de San Cristobal (Logrosán, Cáceres) (Rodríguez Díaz et al. 2019), examples of cassiterite mining and tin production begin to appear in other areas. ...
We present three sites in NW Iberia with examples of archaeological material related with tin mining and metallurgy attributed to the first millennium BC, studied in the frame of the IberianTin project.
... Esto muestra también el notable potencial de los estudios de paleocontaminación, que además permiten valorar en la actualidad señales de otros metales no considerados hasta la fecha. Otra línea de trabajo muy fructífera, que está experimentando notables avances (Comendador et al., 2017;Meunier et al., 2023) pero en la que todavía queda mucho por saber, es la metalurgia del estaño, un metal esencial para la obtención del bronce y al mismo tiempo un recurso abundante en el noroeste, que sin duda permite entender la inserción de este territorio en dinámicas globales que incluyen la transferencia de conocimiento minero-metalúrgico. La determinación de la procedencia del estaño es compleja, pero la combinación de isótopos de plomo, isótopos de estaño y elementos traza está ofreciendo resultados prometedores y mostrando la utilización del estaño atlántico en el levante mediterráneo en fechas que coinciden con el inicio de nuestro Bronce Final (Berger et al., 2019). ...
RESUMEN En este texto presentamos una visión genérica del surgimiento y consolidación de la metalurgia del cobre y sus alea-ciones en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica, donde los recursos minerales del territorio, así como su localización en el Finisterre atlántico y sus características orográficas, han determinado un devenir histórico particular. Comenza-remos esta visión por las primeras evidencias que manifiestan la presencia de la actividad metalúrgica y la importancia de su contexto social, para posteriormente adentrarnos en la consolidación de esta actividad y en su extensión a dis-tintas esferas de la vida social, así como al incremento de escala productiva. En todos estos ámbitos son importantes las redes de circulación de materias primas, bienes manufacturados, ideas y tecnologías. SUMMARY In this paper we offer an overview of the emergence and consolidation of copper metallurgy and its alloys in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, where the ores of the territory, as well as its location in the Atlantic Finisterre and its orographic characteristics, have determined a particular historical development. We will begin this synthesis analysing the evidence that shows the presence of metallurgical activity and its social context, to subsequently delve into the consolidation of this activity and its extension to different spheres of social life, as well as the increase in the scale of production. In all these areas, the circulation networks of raw materials, manufactured goods, ideas and technologies play an important role. INTRODUCCIÓN Los seres humanos se han relacionado con la natura-leza de formas diversas. En este sentido, el uso de los re-cursos minerales y su transformación a través de la tecnología fue un proceso que nos muestra un profundo conocimiento del territorio y de sus recursos. Al tiempo, en el seno de las comunidades prehistóricas, el uso y do-minio de determinadas tecnologías supuso cambios im-portantes en cuanto a la relación con el medio y la creación de nuevas formas de expresión social e identi-taria. Dentro de estos procesos, podemos encontrar el surgimiento y evolución de la actividad metalúrgica, den-tro de las denominadas pirotecnologías (relacionadas con el fuego), pero también hidrotecnologías (relacionadas con el agua en cuanto a su importancia en el procesado de los minerales para su uso). Nuestra intención en el presente trabajo es ofrecer una visión sintética de un fragmento de esta larga historia, concretamente el que tiene que ver con el origen y evo-lución de la metalurgia del cobre en el noroeste ibérico. Este territorio se ha considerado a menudo un finisterre brumoso al ser observado desde tierra, atribuyéndole una posición de relativa marginalidad que, en cierto modo, condicionó la lectura de sus dinámicas históricas. Sin embargo , las conexiones por mar, tan importantes en la larga
... The rich mineral resources of gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, and tin from the Iberian Peninsula played a significant role for Roman wealth (see e.g. Domergue, 1990aDomergue, , 1990bOrejas & Sánchez-Palencia, 2002;Arboledas Martínez et al., 2017;Comendador Rey et al., 2017). In particular, available mines of lead were intensively exploited and used for different purposes, such as nautical technology and, not least, for the production of anchors. ...
Lead isotope analysis (LIA) is a valuable means for assessing provenance of raw material used in artefacts from Antiquity. Available data on isotopic composition of Roman-period artefacts (e.g. lead ingots from shipwrecks) and samples from lead sources constitute an outstanding frame of reference to develop these studies. In this work, analysis was performed on five Roman period lead anchor stocks from Catalonia, Spain. Isotope data were obtained using two high resolution multi-collector thermal ionization mass spectrometers (TIMS). The lead isotope signature of samples, in conjunction with historical considerations, suggests that the mineral used for these objects came from Cartagena-Mazarron deposits.
... These areas suffer from a process of changing needs since these soils and the materials that grow on them have allowed for other soils, the so-called fertile ones, to be used for centuries, even millennia, which is why people from Minho can still work on these lands. The occupation of the territory that today is the municipality of Guimarães comes from the most remote prehistoric times, but the kind of practices to which the populations dedicated themselves to ensure their subsistence, given the lack of archaeological records, cannot be determined with certainty [69][70][71]. In the period corresponding to the Bronze Age, the archaeological records are much more detailed, indicating complex and organized settlements, such as the one identified at the archaeological station of Penha [72]. ...
The occupation of a territory combines a set of variables which affect the development of the mode by which populations have been organized throughout history. How this occupation takes place demonstrates much of a territory’s past and shows how the populations managed to make the most out of the available resources. The region of Entre-Douro-e-Minho (Northern Portugal), similarly to what happens in other regions, such as Galicia (Northern Spain), Brittany (Northern France), or Ireland, presents a type of dispersed land use, with an alternation of urban, agriculture, and forest areas. On one hand, this proximity allows urban populations to come into contact with a rural environment. On the other hand, this proximity also causes a set of problems, namely those related to rural fires, which are now enhanced by climate change, and associated phenomena, such as heatwaves and the lack of precipitation. The present work analyzes the evolution of rural fires in 1975–2019, in the municipality of Guimarães (Northern Portugal), to understand how these events have been distributed over time and evolved in a climate change scenario. Based on the results and discussion presented, it can be concluded that there is an increasing trend in the occurrence of rural fires in the territory under study, and that this can also be associated to climate change, in the form of a gradual increment in temperature, particularly in the autumn months, and a decrease in rainfall. This situation is responsible for the increment of the risk caused by the proximity of the populations to forest and agricultural areas because rural fires can jeopardize the safety of people and goods.
... Alrededor del cambio de era, Estrabón recoge en su Geografía una descripción de las islas Casitérides. Según este texto, se trata de diez islas, una de ellas deshabitada y las otras pobladas por ganaderos que proponen estaño y pieles a 2 Comendador Rey et al. 2016;Comendador Rey et al. 2017. 3 Meunier 2011. ...
Se propone aquí una primera síntesis de los datos disponibles acerca de la producción antigua de estaño en el Noroeste ibérico. Desde los autores griegos y latinos hasta los informes de los ingenieros de minas contemporáneos, pasando por los tratados de la Ilustración, la información es muy diversa. Los datos arqueológicos son los más escasos. El catálogo de minas obtenido con esta revisión bibliográfica permite darse cuenta del potencial de la región para la producción de estaño entre la Edad del Bronce y el periodo Romano. La escasez de datos cronológicos precisos pone sin embargo de manifiesto la necesidad de investigaciones de campo. Terminamos con una propuesta sobre el papel que esta producción pudo tener en las sociedades del Noroeste, en base a los datos reunidos.
La base de datos completa del catálogo de sítios con sus respectivas referencias bibliográficas se pueden descargar como anexo a esta dirección: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02871961
Bronze Age–Early Iron Age tin ingots recovered from four Mediterranean shipwrecks off the coasts of Israel and southern France can now be provenanced to tin ores in south-west Britain. These exceptionally rich and accessible ores played a fundamental role in the transition from copper to full tin-bronze metallurgy across Europe and the Mediterranean during the second millennium BC. The authors’ application of a novel combination of three independent analyses (trace element, lead and tin isotopes) to tin ores and artefacts from Western and Central Europe also provides the foundation for future analyses of the pan-continental tin trade in later periods.
Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) with polyneuropathy (formerly known as Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (FAP)) is an endemic amyloidosis involving the harmful aggregation of proteins, most commonly transthyretin (TTR) but sometimes also apolipoprotein A-1 or gelsolin. hATTR appears to be transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. Over 100 point mutations have been identified, with the Val30Met substitution being the most common. Yet, the mechanism of pathogenesis and the overall origin of hATTR remain unclear. Here, we argue that hATTR could be related to harmful metal exposure. hATTR incidence is unevenly distributed globally, and the three largest defined clusters exist in Japan, Portugal, and Sweden. All three disease regions are also ancient mining districts with associated metal contamination of the local environment. There are two main mechanisms for how harmful metals, after uptake into tissues and body fluids, could induce hATTR. First, the metals could directly influence the expression, function, and/or aggregation of the proteins involved in hATTR pathology. Such metal–protein interactions might constitute molecular targets for anti-hATTR drug design. Second, metal exposure could induce hATTR -associated genetic mutations, which may have happened several generations ago. These two mechanisms can occur in parallel. In conclusion, the possibility that hATTR could be related to metal exposure in geochemically defined regions deserves further attention.
