When was Cornish tin mined and processed in prehistory?

康沃尔锡在史前何时开采和加工？

• 批准号: NE/G009880/1
• 负责人: Andrew Meharg
• 金额: $ 2.38万
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2009 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FG009880%2F1
• 关键词: When; was; Cornish; tin; mined

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.

本研究的目的是记录膨胀和收缩的康沃尔语锡开采整个史前使用环境化学表征和放射性碳测年原状博德明摩尔和达特摩尔泥炭芯。锡是从哪里来生产青铜的，这是古代世界的一大谜团。大概是些零碎的文字公元前300年，希腊探险家皮西亚斯（Pytheas）提出，西地中海的福西亚商人与康沃尔（Cornwall）有联系，康沃尔是迄今为止欧洲/中东最丰富的锡矿资源，他说矿石被开采和冶炼。事实上，没有考古证据被发掘出来，提供事实证据来支持这一说法，或以前，或后来的史前开采康沃尔语锡源。古代的金属冶炼活动通过大气沉积在泥炭和冰芯中按时间顺序保存下来。本文拟对博德明摩尔和达特摩尔（均位于康沃尔/德文郡锡矿床中心）的未受干扰泥炭岩芯中的锡和其他伴生/共生元素（砷、铜、铅、银等）进行剖面分析。在这些沼泽地上已经发现了未受干扰的泥炭沉积物。放射性碳测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，区分当地的矿石冶炼活动和长途运输的矿石冶炼活动。通过这种方式，将确定该地区的史前采矿/冶炼活动。