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Isotope composition of Medieval lead glasses reflecting early silver production in Central Europe

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Abstract

The lead isotope composition of 32 lead glasses excavated from strata of the twelfth to early fifteenth century in six countries of NW Europe made the predominance of the Harz Mountains in this period of the Medieval European lead and silver production highly probable. Post-Variscan vein type galena, Devonian syngenetic hydrothermal ore (Rammelsberg) and blended ore from both deposits in the Harz were used. Our evaluation of 200 mining sites in Germany, Britain and Ireland also demonstrated that minor lead sources for lead glass were located in Bavaria/Bohemia and England. Lead ores from the Rhenohercynian orogenic belt in Germany are derived from rock sources close to the upper continental crust composition in 238U/204Pb of about 10 and Th/U of about 4. The ores in Central England originated from rocks with 238U/204Pb of about 11.

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Received: 24 September 1996 / Accepted: 17 January 1997

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Wedepohl, K., Baumann, A. Isotope composition of Medieval lead glasses reflecting early silver production in Central Europe. Mineral. Deposita 32, 292–295 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001260050094

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001260050094

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