BRONZE Age mining artefacts held by the Royal Cornwall Museum have been carbon-dated and are now believed to be over 3,600 years old, providing unprecedented insight into the mining techniques and daily life of our ancestors.

Recent scientific research on an oak shovel, along with evidence from examination of an antler pick, has signalled that these items are the first Bronze Age tin mining tools to be found in Europe. This supports the growing evidence of tin workings in Cornwall dating back over 3,600 years.

Both were found in the Carnon Valley, near Truro, when alluvial tin streamworks were being reworked in the 19th century, with radiocarbon dating indicating they are from the British Bronze Age (2400-800 BC). 

The oak wooden shovel is understood to have been found in 1815, and is formed from one piece of wood, unlike medieval wooden shovels that come in two pieces. 

It has been radiocarbon dated at around 3,200 years old by the Project Ancient Tin Team, led by Dr Alan Williams from the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, with a grant from the Royal Archaeological Institute. Found circa 1855, the 48cm-long antler pick is around 3,600 years old, or Early Bronze Age, and is the first evidence for the extraction of tin and/or alluvial gold in the British Isles. Examination reveals tally marks carved into the side, which could signify the recording of work by prehistoric miners.

The research and dating for this piece was conducted by Dr Simon Timberlake from the Early Mines Research Group. Small amounts of gold also found in the Carnon Valley have been linked by chemical fingerprint to the gold in the famous Nebra Sky Disc, an artefact thought to be the world’s oldest map of the stars.

The inclusion of Cornish gold and tin in this disc, which was found in Germany and considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century, suggests Cornish prehistoric mining and trading practices may have pioneered the European Bronze Age.  Bryony Robins, artistic director for the museum says: “Cornwall and mining are already intertwined, but this important discovery demonstrates just how long mining has been taking place in Cornwall, and how well developed some of the tools of the trade were, even at that time.”

The museum’s Mineral Gallery reopens in early July, the first phase of the museum’s transformation which continues into 2025 and heralds an exciting new era for this 200-year-old institution, home to over one million artefacts. 

“It will share with our visitors the heritage of mining in Cornwall, and present the world-renowned collection of rocks and minerals in a more accessible way - and, of course, the role that mining is continuing to play in Cornwall,” added Ms Robins.