What is it about?
We introduce a new framework for tracing the origins of tin, the most critical raw material in the Bronze Age world. Our study links a tin source in Northeast China to a consumption site in the Huai River Valley, 1,500 km away. We developed U-Pb age of cassiterite as a new tracer would potentially facilitate the provenancing of Bronze Age tin across the world.
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Why is it important?
Tracing the origins of tin is challenging because its complex geochemical signatures often overlap across ore deposits. We present an alternative approach: U–Pb dating of unreacted cassiterite grains preserved in metallurgical slag. Their ages provide a robust tracer for distinguishing tin sources across China. With potential applications worldwide, this approach offers a new way to address one of the most enduring questions about Bronze Age civilizations: where did the tin for large-scale bronze production come from?
Perspectives
This interdisciplinary study brings together field archaeologists, archaeometallurgists, and geologists. It exemplifies the core mission of archaeological science, developing innovative methods to address fundamental questions about the human past.
Siran Liu
University of Science and Technology Beijing
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cassiterite U–Pb geochronology: A framework for tin provenance in the Bronze Age world, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2625071123.
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