Bronze age tin from Israeli shipwrecks was mined in Britain

Ingots of tin found in bronze age shipwrecks off the coast of Israel were smelted in the south-west of England suggesting an ancient trade route existed between the two regions. The researchers analysed tin and lead isotopes and trace elements in 27 ingots from archaeological sites in Israel, Turkey and the Greek island of Crete, dating from about 3200 years ago. The ancient tin, formed into bars and plates, was probably destined for making bronze – a technology that powerfully influenced the development of ancient cultures. Many of the ingots were recovered from ancient shipwrecks, including a wreck off the Carmel coast, a few miles south of Haifa in Israel, and two wrecks just off of Haifa itself.