Provenance of tin in the Late Bronze Age balkans based on probabilistic and spatial analysis of Sn isotopes. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mason, Andrea; Powell, Wayne; Bankoff, H. Arthur; Mathur, Ryan; Price, Michael; Bulatović, Aleksandar; Filipović, Vojislav
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 122(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Provenance -- Bronze -- Tin isotopes -- Bronze age -- Archaeometallurgy -- Probabilistic sourcing -- Cassiterite; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archéologie -- Périodiques; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2020.105181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-4403

Abstract

Abstract: 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. Highlights: A probabilistic method for artifact provenance studies with Sn isotopes is introduced. Sn isotopes defined 3 geographically distinct LBA artifact clusters in the Central Balkans. The West Pluton of the Erzgebirge and Mt Cer (Serbia) are likely sources for tin in LBA. Additional sources supplied tin to the Lower Danube Valley.