Tin Isotopy Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

2025, Geosciences

Published Sn isotope data along with 150 new analyses of cassiterite and four granite analyses constrain two major tin isotope fractionation steps associated with (1) separation of tin from the magma/orthomagmatic transitional environment and (2) hydrothermal activity. A distinct Sn iso-tope difference across deposit type, geological host rocks and time of ore deposit formation demonstrates that the difference in the mean δ124Sn value represents the operation of a unified process. The lower Sn isotope values present in both residual igneous rocks and pegmatite suggest that heavier Sn isotopes were extracted from the system during orthomagmatic fluid separation, likely by F ligands with Sn. Rayleigh distillation models this first F ligand induced fractionation. The subsequent development of the hydrothermal system is characterized by heavier Sn isotope composition proximal to the intrusion which persists in spite of Sn isotope fractionating towards isotopically lighter Sn during hydrothermal evolution.

2024, The Journal of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences

The paper presents the results of two case studies. A first sample set
includes tin isotopic compositions of 15 bronzes from three large hoards
of the Early Bronze Age Únětice Culture in Central Germany. A major
research question was, whether local tin from the Saxon-Bohemian Ore
Mountains or from different sources was used to produce the artefacts.
The tin isotope composition in the bronzes of these comparably early
hoards of the classical phase of the Únětice Culture shows a small
variation.
The second sample set comprises 16 isotopically investigated objects
from Romania and Hungary, belonging to hoards and settlements. In
addition, the tin isotopic compositions of a dagger and an axe from Crete
were examined. Considering the large geographical distance between the
finds a major research question was, whether the tin isotope composition
of central and southeastern European bronzes differ, and whether the
isotopic compositions of the Aegean bronzes differ from those of the
Carpathian Basin.
Generally, it can be said that the tin isotope composition in this second
sample set show a slightly larger variation than observed in the bronzes
of the Únětice Culture. The Cretan objects show 124/120Sn isotope
compositions, which are higher than the southeastern as well as the
central European samples. This suggests that different tin sources might
have been used to manufacture the bronzes. The paper discusses the
variation of the tin isotope compositions and their bearing on the debate
about tin trade in Europe.

2024, Vacuum

Resistive heating and mechanical rolling methods have been employed to prepare isotopically enriched thin target foils of 116 Sn (~380µg/cm 2), 124 Sn(~400µg/cm 2) and thicker foils of 112 Sn (1.7 mg/cm 2), 120 Sn (1.6 mg/cm 2),respectively. Preparation of enriched targets with small amount of material, selection of releasing agent for thin targets and separation of deposited material insolvent were among the several challenges while fabrication of the thin targets. Uniformity of the targets has been measured using 241 Am α-source. NaCl has been used as releasing agent in preparation of the thin targets. These targets have been successfully used in nuclear physics experiments at VECC.

2024

Dieser Bericht beschreibt die Herstellung und Zertifizierung einer Cadmiumlösung mit natürlicher Isotopenzusammensetzung. Für das Isotopen-Referenzmaterial sind sowohl die Isotopenverhältnisse als auch Isotopenhäufigkeiten und die molare Masse von Cadmium zertifiziert. Die Unsicherheiten sind erweiterte Messunsicherheiten U = k. u c mit k = 2. Der Cadmium-Massenanteil in der Lösung wird als indikativer Wert angegeben mit einer erweiterten Messunsicherheit U = k. u c mit k = 4,5. Größe Zertifizierte Werte Unsicherheit Isotopenverhältnis n(106 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 0,09751 0,00007 n(108 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 0,06951 0,00003 n(110 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 0,97504 0,00010 n(112 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 1,8835 0,0004 n(113 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 0,95479 0,00016 n(114 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 2,2437 0,0007 n(116 Cd)/n(111 Cd) 0,58583 0,00026 Isotopenhäufigkeit n(106 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,012485 0,000009 n(108 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,008901 0,000004 n(110 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,124846 0,000016 n(111 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,128043 0,000013 n(112 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,24117 0,00004 n(113 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,122254 0,000022 n(114 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,28729 0,00006 n(116 Cd)/n(Cd) 0,07501 0,00004 Molare Masse M(Cd) in g/mol 112,41218 0,00018 Größe Indikativer Wert Unsicherheit Cadmium-Massenanteil in der Lösung w(Cd) in mg/kg 994 5

2023, Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

The lack of historically known tin deposits in Poland requires that the source of tin metal in ancient artifacts must be derived from foreign sources. To identify these external sources in the Viking Period, a combination of Pb and Sn isotope compositions and trace element analyses on a group of tin and tin rich alloys from three settlements in Poland was conducted. The integration of the chemical techniques reveals several sources for the tin rich artifacts, 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 artifacts are split into two sources designated by the higher Sn isotope values from Cornwall and the lower Sn isotope values from Brittany and are found in the two coastal settlements. Group two artifacts match a Slovakian origin, while one artifact labeled in group three possesses an Anatolian source. Defining the tin rich artifact sources allows constraint of the tin sources for the mixed alloys like bronze and pewter. In this instance the tin isotope values fall within two sources defined by the tin metal artifacts, Brittany and Cornwall. The chemical approach presented here defines distal metal sources to reveal a geographically expansive interconnected tin trade network that was predominantly European, in Viking times through chemical analysis of ornaments, coins, and beads.

2023, Archaeometry

Tin was a vital commodity in times past. In central Europe, the earliest finds of tin-bronze date to about 2200 BC, while in Greece they are c. 400-500 years earlier. While there is evidence for prehistoric copper mining-for example, in the Alps or mainland Greece, among other places-the provenance of the contemporary tin is still an unsolved problem. This work deals with a new approach for tracing the ancient tin via tin isotope signatures. The tin isotope ratios of 50 tin ores from the Erzgebirge region (D) and 30 tin ores from Cornwall (GB) were measured by MC-ICP-MS. Most ore deposits were found to be quite homogeneous regarding their tin isotope composition, but significant differences were observed between several deposits. This fact may be used to distinguish different tin deposits and thus form the basis for the investigation of the provenance of ancient tin that has been sought for more than a century. Furthermore, the tin-isotope ratio of the 'Himmelsscheibe von Nebra' will be presented: the value fits well with the bulk of investigated tin ores from Cornwall.

2023, Frontiers in Earth Science

The Bronze Age in Central Asia was dominated by the Andronovo Culture and the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). Both cultural entities produced bronze, however, the extent of bronze production and use varied considerably in space and time across their territories. The introduction and spread of bronze metallurgy in the region is commonly associated with the Andronovo Culture, but comparatively little is known about the copper and tin sources that were exploited to make the bronze. To shed light on this aspect, this paper examines 91 bronze artefacts from the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) and the Late Bronze Age (LBA) recovered from twenty sites of Andronovo and the BMAC through a combined evaluation of chemical and isotopic analyses. Trace element patterns and isotopic compositions of lead, tin, and copper are determined for the objects complemented by tin isotope analysis of Central Asian tin ores. The data shows a clear separation of two source areas in the MBA and LBA I: the BMAC obtained copper from polymetallic (tin-bearing) deposits in Iran (Deh Hosein, Nakhlak/Bagh Gorogh) and possibly Afghanistan, while the Andronovo Culture mainly used copper from the Tian Shan Mountains. With the transition to the LBA II, a change in the material basis can be recognised, in which the BMAC increasingly relied on metal deposits from the Andronovo territory. The most important result in this context is the analytical proof of the coextraction of copper and tin from the copper-tin mine at Mushiston, Tajikistan, and the first direct link of tin in bronze objects with a tin deposit. Mushiston apparently supplied both cultural macro regions with a “natural” bronze, which accounted for about one third of all objects analysed, but there is no indication yet that metal or ores from Mushiston were traded or used at a distance of more than 500 km. Moreover, the artefact data indicates a decline in the exploitation of the mine in the course of the developed LBA, while other copper and tin sources in the Tian Shan and probably the Hindukush were exploited. This testifies to the intensive use of the rich mineral resources of Central Asia and beyond, as well as the intensification of cultural and trade contacts between Andronovo and the BMAC.

2023, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research

This study uses MC-ICP-MS for the precise analysis of the stable tin isotopic composition in ore minerals of tin (cassiterite, stannite), tin metal and tin bronze. The ultimate goal is to determine the provenance of tin in ancient metal objects. We document the isotope compositions of reference materials, and compare the precision of different isotope ratios and the accuracy of different procedures of mass fractionation correction. These data represent a base with which isotopic data of future studies can be directly compared. The isotopic composition of cassiterite and stannite can be determined after reduction to tin metal and bronze, respectively. Both metals readily dissolve in HCl, but while the solutions of tin metal can be directly measured, the bronze solutions must be purified with an anionexchanger. The correction of the mass bias is best performed with an internal Sb standard and an empirical regression method. A series of Sn isotope determinations on commercially available monoelement Sn solutions as well as reference bronze materials and tin minerals show fractionations ranging from about-0.09 to 0.05‰/amu. The combined analytical uncertainty (2s) was determined by replicate dissolutions of reference materials of bronze (BAM 211, IARM-91D) and averages at about 0.005‰/amu.

2023, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research

Exogenic contamination is of primary concern for geochemical and biological clean laboratories working with sample sizes at the nanogram or even subpicogram level. Here, we determined sixty trace elements in fifteen different types of gloves from major suppliers worldwide to evaluate whether gloves could be potential sources of contamination for routine trace element and isotope measurements. We found that all gloves contain some trace elements that can be easily mobilised in significant amounts. In weak acid at room temperature, the tested gloves released up to 17 mg of Zn, more than 1

2023, METALLA

The paper focuses on isotopic data of bronzes from the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. The sample sets comprise bronzes from hoards, graves, and settlements from Central and Southeastern Europe as well as the Aegean and Mesopotamia. The analytical determination of tin isotopic compositions and a possible use of tin from different ore sources between the Carpathian Basin, the Aegeo-Balkan-Complex and tin bearing regions in Central and Western Europe will be discussed. Since the 2nd millennium bronzes show in general a different isotopic composition than those of the 3rd millennium, the presented analyses indicate a possible reorientation of exchange routes in Europe during the 2nd millennium BC. This is supported by the composition of a few Aegean samples from the turn of the millennia, which have heavier tin isotopic compositions than all other sample sets. This suggests that different tin sources might have been used to manufacture these bronzes.

2023, METALLA

2022, METALLA

2022, Metals, Minds and Mobility

2022

Bibliografía : p. 585-601.Forma de acceso : InternetPremios: Premio a tesis doctorales 2020Datos tomados de port. del pd

2022, Journal of Archaeological Science

We report the largest published dataset to date of Sn-isotopic compositions of Bronze Age artifacts (338) along with 150 cassiterite samples (75 new) from six potential tin ore sources from which the tin in these artifacts were thought to have likely originated. The artifacts are from a broad area, Central Europe through the Central Balkans, and the six tin sources are Cornwall, three sites in the Erzgebirge, and two sites in Serbia. A clustering analysis on mean site-level isotopic values of δ 124 Sn identifies regional variation that can be attributed to the use of different tin ore sources in different regions. Therefore, geographically meaningful regions were identified to group the Bronze Age artifact assemblages and a probabilistic, Bayesian analysis was performed to determine the proportional contribution of each tin source to each regional assemblage. Artifacts enriched in heavy isotopes (δ 124 Sn > 0.7‰) that cluster in west-central Serbia are likely associated with the ores from Mt. Cer in west Serbia. Mixed artifact assemblages (high and low δ 124 Sn) in this region are attributed to the use of cassiterite from the two Serbian sites (Mt. Cer and Mt. Bukulja). Moderate composition artifacts that occur north of the Middle Danube in Vojvodina, Transylvania, and Central Europe are likely associated primarily with ores from the West Pluton of the Erzgebirge. Compositionally light bronzes (δ 124 Sn < 0.2‰) in southern Serbia and the lower Danube river valley cannot be linked to a documented ore source. There is no indication of the use of ores from Cornwall or the East Pluton of the Erzgebirge in Central Europe and the Balkans during the Late Bronze Age.

2022

aprovechamiento artesanal. En un contexto local, podemos encontrar los primeros ejemplos de lugares y oficios relacionados con los usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad, muchos de ellos abandonados, olvidados, incluso desaparecidos en nuestros días. Es necesaria y urgente, por tanto, la elaboración de inventarios de usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad, para impedir que este importante patrimonio español desaparezca. En este contexto, con la Ley 42/2007, de 13 de diciembre, del Patrimonio Natural y de la Biodiversidad y con el Real Decreto 556/2011, de 20 de abril, se abre la posibilidad de elaborar un inventario nacional de usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad, ya que el inventario actual se centra únicamente en los conocimientos tradicionales de la biodiversidad. Considerando la legislación vigente, se ha creado en la Comarca de Huéscar (Granada), el primer inventario de conocimientos tradicionales de la geodiversidad de España, donde se han propuesto conceptos y sus acrónimos relacionados con estos conocimientos y usos tradicionales. Este primer inventario es sin duda un excelente modelo, para la elaboración de un futuro inventario español de conocimientos y usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad.

2022

2022, METALLA

2022, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

Tin isotope ratios may be a useful tool for tracing back the tin in archaeological metal artefacts (tin metal, bronze) to the geological source and could provide information on ancient smelting processes. This study presents the results of laboratory experiments, which reduced (smelted) synthetic stannic oxide, natural cassiterite and corroded archaeological tin and bronze objects. The overall aim of the study is to find a reliable method for the decomposition of tin ores and corrosion products in order to determine their tin isotopic composition, and to explore possible effects on the tin isotope ratios during pyrometallurgy. We focused on five methods of reduction at high temperatures (900-1100°C): reduction with CO (plain smelting), reduction with KCN/CO (cyanide reduction), reduction with Na 2 CO 3 /CO, reduction with Cu/CO ('cementation technique') and reduction with CuO/CO ('co-smelting'). The smelting products are analysed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy as well as X-ray diffraction, while their isotope composition is determined with a high-resolution multi-collector mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma ionisation. The results show that all five methods decompose synthetic stannic oxide, cassiterite and corrosion products. Ultimately, reduction with KCN is the best solution for analysing tin ores and tin corrosion because the chemical processing is straightforward and it provides the most reproducible results. Reduction with Na 2 CO 3 and copper is an alternative, especially for bronze corrosion, but it requires laborious chemical purification of the sample solutions. In contrast, evaporation of tin and incomplete alloying during plain smelting and co-smelting can cause considerable fractionation among smelting products (Δ 124 Sn = 0.10 ‰ (0.03 ‰ u −1)). A less precise and even inaccurate determination of the tin isotopic compositions of the tin ores would be the consequence. However, the results of this study help to evaluate the possible influence of the pyrometallurgical processes on the tin isotope composition of tin and bronze artefacts.

2022, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research

The boron isotopic ratio of 11 B/ 10 B (δ 11 B SRM951) and trace element composition of marine carbonates are key proxies for understanding carbon cycling (pH) and palaeoceanographic change. However, method validation and comparability of results between laboratories requires carbonate reference materials. Here, we report results of an inter-laboratory comparison study to both assign δ 11 B SRM951 and trace element compositions to new synthetic marine carbonate reference materials (RMs), NIST RM 8301 (Coral) and NIST RM 8301 (Foram) and to assess the variance of data among laboratories. Non-certified reference values and expanded 95% uncertainties for δ 11 B SRM951 in NIST RM 8301 (Coral) (+24.17‰ AE 0.18‰) and NIST RM 8301 (Foram) (+14.51‰ AE 0.17‰) solutions were assigned by consensus approach using inter-laboratory data. Differences reported among laboratories were considerably smaller than some previous inter-laboratory comparisons, yet discrepancies could still lead to large differences in calculated seawater pH. Similarly, variability in reported trace element information among laboratories (e.g., Mg/Ca AE 5% RSD) was often greater than within a single laboratory (e.g., Mg/Ca < 2%). Such differences potentially alter proxy-reconstructed seawater temperature by more than 2°C. These now well-characterised solutions are useful reference materials to help the palaeoceanographic community build a comprehensive view of past ocean changes.

2022

En este trabajo se va a continuar con la serie dedicada al inventario comarcal del patrimonio minero de Aragon. Ahora en este trabajo nos referiremos a la comarca de la Ribera Baja del Ebro, una de las realizadas durante el pasado ano 2010, por lo que concierne a los trabajos de campo. Ante todo cabe decir que no se trata de un inventario exhaustivo del Patrimonio Minero de la comarca de la Ribera Baja del Ebro: como en los trabajos anteriormente realizados, se trata simplemente un catalogo de los lugares de interes del Patrimonio Minero que se han ido encontrando mientras se estaba haciendo el trabajo de inventariado de las explotaciones mineras. Este trabajo conto en su momento con la colaboracion del Servicio de Ordenamiento Minero de la Diputacion General de Aragon (la DGA), del Gobierno de Aragon. La comarca zaragozana de la Ribera Baja del Ebro, ocupa una posicion claramente centro - meridional dentro de la provincia de Zaragoza. Asimismo, dentro del conjunto de comarcas arago...

2022

En los ultimos anos, en Espana y en otros paises se han incrementado las propuestas de divulgacion de la geologia y del patrimonio geologico entre la sociedad. En Espana, esto ha sido facilitado por la existencia de un amplio y variado patrimonio representado por la geodiversidad con la que cuentan la Peninsula Iberica y las Islas. El presente articulo muestra un nuevo medio de difusion a traves del cual se pretende implicar a un sector de la sociedad al que otras propuestas no han llegado, quizas por cierto distanciamiento del ciudadano con el entorno natural. Es sabido que existe un importante interes por pa1ie de la sociedad en el conocimiento de la historia, arquitectura, escultura, pintura, etc. Sin embargo, aunque si existe una inquietud por un acercamiento y conocimiento del medio natural, no parece existir esta misma demanda de conocimientos hacia la geologia, exceptuando disciplinas geologicas como la paleontologia o la mineralogia, en las que existe un interes mas amplio y...

2021, PLOS ONE

Isotope systematics and chemical composition of tin ingots from Mochlos (Crete) and other Late Bronze Age sites in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: An ultimate key to tin provenance? PLoS ONE 14 (6): e0218326.

2021

2021, Archaeometry

The reliable identification of fakes consisting of bronze often presents problems, because traditional methods such as stylistic studies, optical microscopy, chemical analysis or X-ray diffraction of the corrosion may not be conclusive. We present a method that is based on the comparison of the tin isotope ratios 122 Sn/ 116 Sn and 117 Sn/ 119 Sn in the metal and in the adherent corrosion layer. An artificial patina is usually generated within a short time period. It has been observed that such a procedure leads to a depletion of the light tin isotopes in the corrosion layer, while in naturally corroded authentic archaeological objects no isotopic fractionation has been detected. The method has also been applied to archaeological objects and it could be confirmed, among other examples, that the famous 'Sky Disc of Nebra' is authentic.

2021, Blickpunkt Archäologie 4/2014, 2014, 76-82

Am Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie Mannheim und der Universität Heidelberg wird seit Mitte 2013 im Rahmen eines von der EU geförderten Projektes einer Frage nachgegangen, die wie kaum eine andere Archäologen, Historiker und Naturwissenschaftler gleichermaßen beschäft igt: Woher kam das Zinn für die frühesten Bronzen der Menschheit? Bereits seit dem 19. Jh. versucht die Forschung, diesem Geheimnis auf die Spur zu kommen. Schon Freiherr Karl Ernst von Baer stellte 1876 fest, dass die ersten Zinnbronzen vor allem aus Regionen der Alten Welt stammen, in denen es praktisch keine Zinnvorkommen gibt. Abgesehen von singulären und unsicher datierten Fundstücken aus dem 6. bis 4. Jt. v. Chr. taucht die Zinnbronze erstmals an der Verbreitungsgebiet der frühesten Zinnbronzen und die wichtigsten Zinnvorkommen in der Alten Welt.

2021

2021, PLOS ONE

2021, PLoS ONE

2021, Terra Digitalis

(México) es desde mayo de 2017 un Geoparque Mundial de la UNESCO; dicha denominación se justifica por un geopatrimonio de relevancia internacional que incluye: (a) el sistema epitermal (Ag-Au) de clase mundial de Pachuca-Real del Monte; (b) la localidad tipo de la tridimita y la cristobalita; (c) los basaltos con disyunción columnar de Huasca de Ocampo (conocidos como Prismas Basálticos de Santa María Regla); y (d) el patrimonio industrial minero, que comprende vestigios prehispánicos y haciendas de beneficio coloniales. El geoparque se articula alrededor de una red de 31 geositios cuyo propósito general es la geoconservación y el aprovechamiento turístico y educativo del geopatrimonio. El mapa geoturístico del geoparque, presentado en esta contribución, se ha elaborado con el fin de que sea usado como un recurso educativo y, además, como una herramienta para la catalogación, aprovechamiento y conservación de la geodiversidad.

2021, Geo-temas

Sobre Las Encantadas existen en España numerosas publicaciones. Sin embargo, apenas aparecen estudios o inventarios referentes a los usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad sobre estas leyendas vinculadas con lugares geológicos. En este sentido, el primer estudio de detalle sobre esta temática ha sido el realizado por Rosillo Martínez (2019) en su tesis doctoral. Cuevas, roquedos, ríos, fuentes, cerros, etc., son elementos geológicos en los que pueden existir leyendas sobre Encantadas; fábulas o mitos que las generaciones actuales hemos escuchado de nuestros mayores o que aparecen reflejados en escritos antiguos. Son numerosos los lugares a lo largo y ancho de la geografía española, en los que su geodiversidad ha sido fundamental para la existencia de leyendas populares; saberes que han sido transmitidos durante siglos de generación en generación a través de la tradición oral. La identificación, inventario y descripción de estos lugares geológicos y sus leyendas,
mediante la valoración de su interés científico, didáctico y turístico/recreativo, contribuirá sin lugar a dudas a la protección de nuestro patrimonio geológico y los conocimientos y usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad. Su puesta en valor fomentará
el geoturismo y contribuirá al desarrollo económico de los pueblos donde se encuentran.

2021, Geo-Temas

Los trabajos geológicos de canteras históricas comúnmente se basan en estudios clásicos de sus rocas (mineralogía, petrología y propiedades geo-mecánicas) con el único objetivo de conocer la procedencia de la materia prima de los monumentos y/o para la restauración de los mismos. Pero es muy común que estas canteras posean un gran valor histórico por los usos tradicionales de la geodiversidad, y estén protegidas con algunas figuras legales como Bien de Interés Cultural. Además, estas canteras suelen estar en lugares de interés geológico y/o contienen un rico patrimonio geológico mueble e inmueble, que suele pasar desapercibido. Por ello en este trabajo se recomienda la necesidad de considerar en los estudios geológicos de las canteras históricas el enfoque geo-conservacionista, analizando su patrimonio geológico. Además, según la Ley 42/2007, de 13 de diciembre, del Patrimonio Natural y de la Biodiversidad, se deben incluir en los inventarios de los Conocimientos Tradicionales de la Geodiversidad. Así se ha considerado en el estudio de 20 canteras de origen romano de la Región de Murcia. Catorce de ellas, que se describen en este artículo, poseen un importante patrimonio geológico o están dentro de Lugares de Interés Geológico.

2021, PLOS ONE

2020, Journal of Archaeological Science

2020, LOS GEOPARQUES ESPAÑOLES DE LA RED GLOBAL DE GEOPARQUES DE LA UNESCO, Y SU CONTRIBUCIÓN A LA DIVULGACIÓN Y CONSERVACIÓN DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE.

Los Geopoarques de España

2019

Abstract: From the evidence located in the municipality of Truchas of a Roman mining channel, it has been possible to establish its continuity along 43 km of route, from the town of Corporales to the surroundings of Lake Truchillas. This finding is treated as an extension of the C-4 Roman channel of Las Médulas, until now unknown. According to the cartography carried out from the evidence of the terrain, this supply channel collected the waters of the Río del Lago, near Truchillas, to lead them to Alto de Peña Aguda, where they met with those coming from the river Eria, carried by a short stretch of only 3.7 km, already known, which had its origin in the neighbor quarter of Pedrosa at Corporales. In total, the C-4 canal now extends from the 81 km of route currently known at 122 km. The new open section also constitutes a new Roman transfer between river basins, of which there are three more in the area, all of them related to Roman gold mining.

2019, Herm, C., Merkel, S., Schreiner, M., Wiesinger, R., Archäometrie und Denkmalpflege 2019: Jahrestagung an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien, Institut für Naturwissenschaften und Technologie in der Kunst, 11.-14. September 2019, Metalla, Sonderheft 9, Bochum: Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, 192-195

Die Herkunft des Zinns der Bronzezeit ist seit langem eines der größten Rätsel der archäologischen Forschung. Obwohl das Metall in Form von Bronze bereits im späten 4. und dem 3. Jt. in Anatolien, der Ägäis und dem Nahen Osten in Erscheinung tritt, liegen die Bezugsquellen dafür praktisch noch immer im Dunkeln. Das liegt vor allem daran, dass im Gebiet der ersten Zinnbronzen keine ergiebigen Zinnvorkommen existieren. Außerdem gab es bis vor kurzem keine analytischen Mittel, der Herkunft des Zinns gezielt nachzuspüren. Archäologische Evidenzen für die Ausbeutung von Zinnressourcen sowie Textdokumente aus dem 2. Jt. waren daher die einzigen greifbaren Anhaltspunkte, auf Basis derer die Forschung davon ausgeht, dass das bronzezeitliche Zinn des östlichen Mittelmeerraums und des Vorderen Orients zuvorderst aus Afghanistan stammt. Aber auch die Bergwerke nahe der türki-schen Ortschaften Kestel und Hisarcık sowie des iranischen Deh Hosein werden immer wieder als mögliche Quellen genannt. Teilweise werden sogar die fernen Zinnressourcen in Usbekistan, Tadschi-kistan oder Kasachstan angeführt (zusammenfassender Forschungsstand von Pigott in Druck). Untersuchungen im Rahmen des vom ERC finanzierten Projektes "BronzeAgeTin" liefern nun erste analytische Hinweise darauf, dass das Zinn der Spätbronzezeit (ca. 1300-1200 v. Chr.) im östlichen Mittelmeerraum-zumindest teilweise-nicht aus Asien, sondern aus europäischen Lagerstätten stammt (Berger et al. 2019). Dazu wurden insgesamt 38 Zinnbarren von unterschiedlichen Fundstellen in Israel (Hishuley Carmel, Kfar Samir, Haifa), Griechenland (Mochlos, Kreta; 16. Jh. v. Chr.), der Türkei (Schiffswrack von Uluburun) und zum Vergleich in Großbritannien (Salcombe) auf ihre Zinn-und Bleiiso-topenverhältnisse (MC-ICP-MS) sowie Spurenelementmuster ((LA-)Q-ICP-MS) hin untersucht. Ein-schränkungen diesbezüglich ergaben sich vor allem bei den Barren von Uluburun und Mochlos, bei denen das Zinn fast vollständig korrodiert war. Hier war von Vornherein mit einer geringeren Aussagkraft der Analyseergebnisse zu rechnen. Die übrigen Artefakte waren jedoch durchweg metallisch, und so ist davon auszugehen, dass die in Abbildung 1a erkennbare lineare Korrelation in den 206 Pb/204 Pb-und 207 Pb/204 Pb-Verhältnissen nicht von einer Kontamination durch die Lagerung der Barren im Meer herrührt...

2019, METALLA

The paper focuses on isotopic data of bronzes from the 3 rd and 2 nd millennium BC. The sample sets comprise bronzes from hoards, graves, and settlements from Central and Southeastern Europe as well as the Aegean and Mesopotamia. The analytical determination of tin isotopic compositions and a possible use of tin from different ore sources between the Carpathian Basin, the Aegeo-Balkan-Complex and tin bearing regions in Central and Western Europe will be discussed. Since the 2 nd millennium bronzes show in general a different isotopic composition than those of the 3 rd millennium, the presented analyses indicate a possible reorientation of exchange routes in Europe during the 2 nd millennium BC. This is supported by the composition of a few Aegean samples from the turn of the millennia, which have heavier tin isotopic compositions than all other sample sets. This suggests that different tin sources might have been used to manufacture these bronzes.

2019, PLoS ONE

The origin of the tin used for the production of bronze in the Eurasian Bronze Age is still one of the mysteries in prehistoric archaeology. In the past, numerous studies were carried out on archaeological bronze and tin objects with the aim of determining the sources of tin, but all failed to find suitable fingerprints. In this paper we investigate a set of 27 tin ingots from well-known sites in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Mochlos, Uluburun, Hishuley Carmel, Kfar Samir south, Haifa) that had been the subject of previous archaeological and archaeometal-lurgical research. By using a combined approach of tin and lead isotopes together with trace elements it is possible to narrow down the potential sources of tin for the first time. The strongly radiogenic composition of lead in the tin ingots from Israel allows the calculation of a geological model age of the parental tin ores of 291 ± 17 Ma. This theoretical formation age excludes Anatolian, central Asian and Egyptian tin deposits as tin sources since they formed either much earlier or later. On the other hand, European tin deposits of the Variscan orogeny agree well with this time span so that an origin from European deposits is suggested. With the help of the tin isotope composition and the trace elements of the objects it is further possible to exclude many tin resources from the European continent and, considering the current state of knowledge and the available data, to conclude that Cornish tin mines are the most likely suppliers for the 13 th-12 th centuries tin ingots from Israel. Even though a different prov-enance seems to be suggested for the tin from Mochlos and Uluburun by the actual data, these findings are of great importance for the archaeological interpretation of the trade routes and the circulation of tin during the Late Bronze Age. They demonstrate that the trade networks between the eastern Mediterranean and some place in the east that are assumed for the first half of the 2 nd millennium BCE (as indicated by textual evidence from Kü ltepe/Kaneš and Mari) did not exist in the same way towards the last quarter of the millennium.

2019, UISPP online journal

The UISPP Commission on Archaeometry of Pre-and Protohistoric Inorganic Artifacts, Materials and Technologies organized on the 14th of October 2016, in Miskolc (Hungary) the 1st international scientific conference of the commission.

2019, Archäometrie und Denkmalpflege 2018: 20.-24. März 2018, DESY, Hamburg, Deutschland (ed. L. Glaser)

Die Schwerter vom Typ „Apa“ werden als die ältesten frühbronzezeitlichen Schwerter Europas angesehen. Sie haben eine weite Verbreitung vom nördlichen Karpatenbecken (Rumänien, Ungarn), über Mitteleuropa bis nach Skandinavien, was auf ein weitreichendes Austauschnetz in der frühen und der beginnenden mittleren Bronzezeit hindeutet. Ihr Ursprungsgebiet wird im Karpatenbecken vermutet, von wo aus sie als Exportstücke in die anderen Regionen gelangten. Es gibt jedoch auch lokale Imitationen außerhalb des Karpatenbeckens und es ist strittig, in welcher Beziehung ähnliche Schwertypen, wie der Typ „Valsømågle“, zu ihnen stehen. Die Schwerter von Typ „Apa“ haben gemeinsame typologische Eigenschaften; dennoch repräsentiert jedes Bronzeobjekt ein Unikat, da die Verzierung von Stück zu Stück unterschiedlich ist und auch die Formen der Klingen und Griffe variieren. Das absolute Alter dieser und nahestehender Artefakte liegt zwischen 1700 und 1500 v. Chr. und fällt damit in eine Zeit, in der in einer Reihe von europäischen Regionen bedeutende Veränderungen in der materiellen Kultur stattfanden. Daher ist es interessant zu untersuchen, ob die Zusammensetzung der Zinnbronze-Legierungen den typologischen Zusammenhang bestätigt oder ob unterschiedliche Werkstoffe zur Herstellung der einzelnen Objekte verwendet wurden.

2018, Xose-Lois Armada, Mercedes Murillo-Barroso and Mike Charlton (eds)., Metals, minds and mobility. Integrating scientific data with archaeological theory (Oxford 2018).