Kassiteros: The Ancient Tin Trade

We all know how how the story of Cornish mining ends, but how did it start? 

Almost all ancient Greek authors who mention the British Isles place emphasis on its tin mining; a phenomenon unique to Cornwall and Devon. What can deciphering these texts tell us about the proto-history of Cornwall during the Roman occupation, late Iron Age, and even the Bronze Age itself? 

Ben Sumpter has spent the last 5 years gathering together fragments of ancient literature to piece together the world of tin trading that connected Cornwall with the literate cultures of the Mediterranean. We will journey through cuneiform clay tablets, Egyptian papyri, Greek codices and Roman parchment to investigate what ancient people had to say about British tin mining from primary sources in their original languages. If you are interested in both ancient civilisations and Cornish history, this presentation will offer a fresh perspective on our County’s oldest industry. 

We also place ancient tin mining in its international context, comparing Southwest Britain with Spain, Brittany and the Erzgebirge (Cz), and even further afield along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. 

About the author: Ben is a freelance historian specialising in mining history. He is also owner of Cornwall Underground Adventures and a committee member of the Cornwall Archaeological Society and Trevithick Society. In order to study the ancient world, he has taught himself to read ancient manuscripts and translate ancient texts from their primary sources. In his spare time he enjoys running, swimming, climbing and of course caving.

Kassiteros: Deciphering the Oldest Greek and Roman Sources of the Ancient Tin Trade

Friday 22nd August 6.00pm - 7:00pm

Cost: £5

A £1 Poly Fund payment is added to each ticket sold. A 50p booking fee is also applied per ticket for online and telephone transactions.