When was Cornish tin mined and processed in prehistory?

本研究的目的是通过环境化学特征和未受干扰的Bodmin Moor和Dartmoor泥炭岩心的放射性碳定年，记录整个史前康沃尔锡开采的扩张和收缩。生产青铜所用的锡从何而来一直是古代世界最大的谜团之一。支离破碎的文本，大约。公元前300年的希腊探险家皮西阿斯（Pytheas）提出，地中海西部的福喀商人与康沃尔（Cornwall）有联系，康沃尔是迄今为止欧洲/中东最丰富的锡矿来源，他说矿石是开采和冶炼的。事实上，没有考古证据可以提供事实证据来支持这一说法，也没有证据表明以前或后来对康沃尔锡源的史前开采。通过泥炭和冰芯的大气沉积，涉及金属冶炼的古代活动按时间顺序被保存下来。本文建议对位于康沃尔/德文郡锡矿床中心的Bodmin Moor和Dartmoor未受干扰的泥炭岩心进行锡和其他伴生/共生元素（砷、铜、铅、银等）的剖面分析。这些沼地上未受干扰的泥炭沉积物已经被发现。放射性碳定年法将用于测定泥炭金属剖面的波峰和波谷。还将进行铅同位素分析，以提供进一步的诊断特征，以区分当地的矿石冶炼活动和远距离运输的矿石。这样就可以确定这个地区的史前采矿/冶炼活动。

The objective of this study is to record the expansion and contraction of the Cornish tin exploitation throughout prehistory using environmental chemical characterization and radiocarbon dating of undisturbed Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor peat cores . Where tin was sourced for the production of bronze is one of the great mysteries of the ancient world. Fragmentary texts, circa. 300 B.C. of the Greek explorer Pytheas suggest that the Phocaean traders of the Western Mediterranean where in contact with Cornwall, by far the most abundant tin ore source in Europe/Middle East, stating that ore was mined and smelted. Virtually no archaeological evidence has been unearthed to provide factual evidence to support this claim, or of previous, or later pre-historical exploitation of Cornish tin sources. Ancient activity involving metal smelting is preserved chronologically through atmospheric deposition in peat and ice cores. It is proposed here to profile tin and other associated/co-occurring elements (arsenic, copper, lead, silver etc) undisturbed peat cores from Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, both situated in the heart of the tin deposits of Cornwall/Devon. Undisturbed peat deposits on these moors have already been identified. Radiocarbon dating would be used to date peaks and troughs in peat metal profiles. Lead isotope analysis will also be conducted to provide further diagnostic characterisation, to distinguish between local ore smelting activity and that transported long distance. In this way prehistoric mining/smelting activity in this region will be ascertained.