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Carole gillis wrote on 11.o4.99


>Regarding your theory - there is no evidence for - and much against - that
>the societies in the northern areas in the 3rd M. B.C. was sophisticated
>enough to both exploit the ores, smelt them, and then bring them with them
>(??!!?) to the south.

Do we really know enough FACTS about the North in the beginning of the 3rd. 
M? For instance, we have no settled idea  why in 3600 B.C. the people had the 
feeling to erect megalithic tombs. What was the underlying myth? 

About 1000 years later these tombs appear in Northafrica, Palestine and along 
the coast of the Black Sea. Egypt and Sumer was founded and bronze appeared 
in the Aegean culture and in Sumer/Ur. In this time the fair-haired early 
Libyans become acheologically detectable and in the Pyramid Texts  (about 
2600 ) a cosmos is described almost identical with the cosmos of the later 
Eadda.
In the Coffin Text (Faulkner) Re and Horus had blue eyes.
467 ---heads are given to me, and I knit on the head of the Blue-eyed Horus, 
one who acts according to his desire
586    Hail to you.O Re, wearing your circlet!---- O Blue-eyed one who 
freshens  eyes, whose power is severe.

It appears to me that numerous hidden  blank pages are in the textbooks of 
prehistory  (o.a. Cambridge Ancient History) 

The assumption that the societies in the North were not sophisticated enough 
to exploit the ores in the Erzgebirge may be an interisting view, but it is a 
hypothesis, i.e. that we need necessarily to believe it or not. To my 
opinion,  archeological facts are needed to settle the problem,  but I dont 
know wether corresponding archeological facts are available For instance an 
absolute data of about 2000 for the first working with tin in the Erzgebirge 
would end  my tin-discussion.

>Cornwall in my opinion is out of the question for the same social reasons.
 >There are so many other sources. .

Though--out of question—allow a further question: Is it correct that in 
Cornwall whashed out SnO formed even in historical times deposits along the 
shore? If so, strolling along the beaches in the area of Stonehenge and 
Newgrange one would detect the tin by chance. No necessity to mine. No traces 
for the archeologist. Can we exclude(!) that the same occured in the 
Erzgebirge?
(Tin deposits: A chinese town Wuxi,i.e  -without tin-).

For me the decissive point is whether the early(!) Sumerians really used , as 
supposed, afghan tin. That they even develloped ther bronze technology in Ur. 
Are corresponding documents available of the beginning(!) of the third 
millenium B.C.? 

 Sargon I (2350-2150.) claimed to reach even Crete. A metall is mentioned but 
it is not clear whether lead or tin is meant. (G.J. Gadd cit. In Woolley 
Ur-Excavation 1934. Webster: Sumerian: An ancient people of Babylonia; 
probably of non-Semetic origin)

Best wishes
Dieter Braasch

P.S. (Beside  tin, the early blond Libyans, the mgalithic tombs in Palästine 
and the ferryman in the Gilgamesh Epos and in the Friesian Sagas (16.th 
Century  A.C) cause me to presume a cultural link between  the North and 
Mesopotamia. Probably out off topic in a specific List like arch-metal, but 
may be some one has an interest to blank pages in prehistory. If so, let me 
know it along the privat channel)






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