Archaeological analysis published in Antiquity confirms that copper production at the Las Minillas mine was active between roughly 1300 and 800/700 BC. Lead-isotope testing matched the chemical signatures of ore from the mine to 11 Scandinavian bronze artifacts. Archaeologists also recovered 735 grooved stone hammers alongside handmade pottery fragments used during rock extraction at the site. The findings suggest the raw material traversed thousands of kilometers through multiple intermediary trading hands rather than via direct transport.
Key points
Las Minillas represents the largest securely dated Late Bronze Age copper mine excavated…: Las Minillas represents the largest securely dated Late Bronze Age copper mine excavated in Iberia to date.
The mine belonged to an expansive prehistoric network of 84 mining sites stretching acros…: The mine belonged to an expansive prehistoric network of 84 mining sites stretching across southern Portugal and southeastern Spain.
Iberian copper likely reached Scandinavia by changing hands repeatedly across interconnec…: Iberian copper likely reached Scandinavia by changing hands repeatedly across interconnected European trade routes rather than through direct journeys.
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Have you ever wondered where the things our ancestors used came from? Today, we can order almost anything from anywhere in the world, and a product can travel thousands of kilometres before reaching our doorstep. But what about people who lived thousands of years ago? How did they find the materials they needed, and did they really have connections with communities living far away? These questions have fascinated historians and archaeologists for generations, and sometimes, a discovery at a seemingly ordinary location can tell us much more about how people lived and interacted with one another.
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