Kassiteros: deciphering the oldest Greek and Roman sources of the ancient tin trade

We all know 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, freelance

historian specialising in mining history, 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 civilizations and Cornish history, this presentation will offer …