Copper Artifacts Uncover Prehistoric Global Connections.

A study by Kiel University researchers analyzed 45 copper objects from various sites dating to the 4th and 3rd millennia BC of Northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia. The lead isotopic signature of the copper objects was examined to link them to previously sampled sources of ore around the European continent. The data indicate that artifacts from before 3500 BC derived exclusively from mines in southeast Europe, especially Serbian mining areas, while later artifacts include ores from the eastern Alps and Slovak Mountains and, much later, potentially the British Isles. These changes in the origins and availability of copper likely reflect differences in distribution networks through time, probably influenced by changing economies, social structures, communication networks, and technologies across prehistoric Europe.