Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – A recent study revealed that 3,300 years ago, tin mined in southwest Britain was a crucial resource for major Bronze Age civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean, located thousands of kilometers away. This discovery stems from analyzing tin ores and artifacts, including those recovered from ancient shipwrecks in southwest Britain, southern France, and Israel. The research indicates that British tin was traded over distances up to 4,000 kilometers.
Major and minor tin-ore deposits in Europe, North Africa and Western and Central Asia (figure by Williams). Credit: Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.41
Lead researchers Dr. Alan Williams and Dr. Benjamin Roberts employed advanced scientific methods to trace the geological origins of tin ingots discovered in three shipwrecks dating back to around 1300 BC off the coast of Israel. Their findings provide the first solid evidence that Cornwall and Devon were significant suppliers of tin for bronze production during ancient times.
For more than two centuries, archaeologists have debated the sources from which Bronze Age societies acquired this globally rare yet essential metal for creating bronze (composed typically of 90% copper and 10% tin). The research team at Durham University, working alongside European institutions, utilized chemical and isotope analyses to demonstrate that Britain’s tin was extensively traded across Europe and into the Mediterranean region.
Additionally, this study offers direct evidence supporting classical texts by Pytheas, who traveled around Britain circa 320 BC. He documented how tin was traded from a tidal island called Ictis in southwest Britain before being transported across seas and along French rivers to reach the mouth of the Rhone within just 30 days.
Examples of the tin artefacts sampled (where not otherwise indicated, artefacts are from the Royal Cornwall Museum. Credit: Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.41
Researchers have revealed that tin from the Rochelongue shipwreck, located off the south coast of France and dating back to around 600 BC, originated from southwest Britain. This study indicates that small farming communities in Cornwall and Devon were integral to a vast international trade network that supported ancient palaces, cities, and states in the Eastern Mediterranean. The tin was likely transported across Europe in stages through traders in France, Sardinia, and Cyprus, contributing to the development of advanced societies in the Mediterranean region. It is estimated that tens of tons of tin were traded annually to complement the hundreds of tons of copper circulating during the Bronze Age.
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This discovery significantly alters our perception of Britain’s role in ancient history by identifying it as a key player in early European trade. It marks tin as the first British commodity exported across Europe and highlights Britain’s crucial technological and cultural contributions to shaping the European Bronze Age. Additionally, this month, researchers will conduct excavations on St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall—long believed to be Ictis, a significant tin trading island mentioned by Pytheas around 320 BC.
The study was published in Antiquity
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
