Nordic swords, spirals and the Dorian
Two points (taken for true in discussion) :
1.) The Indogerman- hypothesis supposes that northenn groups of *Post -
Magdalénean* left the area of the western Baltic Sea by ship since the 4th
.millennium . At least down the Danube, for seafarer a ´comfortable´ neolithic
highway. Within one summer they could reach the Aegaean Sea
2.) Spirals are widespread sun-symbols in Europe and Near East. May be
showing a cultural link between North and South.
a
b
The * Nordic Circle*
a.)The older megalith graves (4th millenium b.)
Along the westcoast only isolates. A sandy soil named GEEST, washed out
by the melting waters of the last ice age.(Almgren)
b.) The Bronce Age Germanic Giffzungenschwerter
(Bronze leaf blade sword, ~1200 b.) Cowen
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Where did the tin come from ?
Cornwall, Erzgebirge (Germany)
There are two larger tin deposits in Europe
1.) In European historical times well known the deposids in Cornwall .
SW-England. The Phoenician probably had knowledge of these deposits.
conceivably an early trade connection even over sea to the Mediterranean
and - not proven -Jutland - Scandinavia.
2.) Tin, copper and iron deposits are known in Central Europe Erzgebirge
comfortably connected with northern Europe by ship down the river Elbe.
Herodot This in mind an amazing report of Herodot 3/115 "
Of the extreme traces of Europe towards the west I cannot speak with any
certainty, for I do not allow that there is any river to which the babarians
give the name of Eridanus, emptying itself into the northern sea. where
(as the tale go) amber is produced, nore do I know of any Islands called the
Tin Islands, whence the tin comes we use. For in the first place the name
Eridanus is manifestly not a barbarian word at all, but a Greek name,
invented by some poet or other; and secondly though I have taken great
pains, I have never been able to get an eyewitness that there is any sea
on the further side of Europe. Nevertheless tin and amber do certainly come
to us from the ends oft the earth
Erzgebirge--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem: Vein deposits, such as those in Bolivia and in Conwall usually
occur in granite formations and are recovered by conventional underground
hardrock mining techniques. Techniques scarcely practicable in 1600 b.
Stream Tin
More productive are alluvial fields. After weathering of rocks containing tin
relatively shallow deposits of finegrained minerals have accumulated in
ancient riverbeds or valleys (Stream Tin )
In modern times large proportion of this ´superficial´ sand-tin is mined by
gravel pumping. In this method, the barren overburden has been removed,
often by draglines or shovels and high pressure water jets are used to break
up and dislodge the tin-bearing sand.
In 1241/42 on the metal market in Cologne continental tin appeared as com-
petition to English tin. From 1324 the term *cynsifen* . (tin soap) is known .
Starting from approximately 1560 also hard rock minimg is proven.
"Hard-rock mining began in Cornwall during the course of the16.th century
A.C.The english mine owners brought in German miners, the acknowledged
masters of this type of mining. Concession were granted to the German
miners, for they alone had the necessary experience and technology" (Muhly)
1988 2.500 t Erzgebirge tin was produced. (1.2% of the world production)
1988 Cornwall became uneconomic and closed,
1991 the ´Erzgebirge´ followed.
http://www.geodienst.de/erzgebirge.htm
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The development of stream deposited sediments of tin-sand needed geo-
logical time intervals.Thus if in historical times tinsand in the Erzgebirge has
been mined then tin-sand must have been in existence even in the older
Bronze Age
1.) To get tin all a ´neolithic´ prospector needed was a shovel
2.) For Northerners tin deposits in the Erzgebirge were easily to reach by
ship down the river Elbe/Saale.
c
