Spanish copper mine may be linked to Scandinavian bronze objects
Chemical analysis suggests copper from a mine in south-western Spain may have reached Scandinavia during the Bronze Age.
A study published in the journal Antiquity on October 26, 2026, suggests that a copper mine in south-western Spain may have been linked to communities in Scandinavia. According to the Times of India, researchers identified 11 bronze objects in Scandinavia with chemical compositions and lead isotope ratios consistent with the Las Minillas site in Badajoz, Extremadura.
The Las Minillas mine, located near Granja de Torrehermosa, shows evidence of copper extraction from approximately 1350 to 750 BC. Excavations conducted in 2021 and 2023 revealed mining trenches reaching depths of 8.2 metres and the presence of 892 stone tools, including 735 grooved stone hammers.
Researchers compared the mine's ores, slags, and metal droplets with more than 300 Late Bronze Age bronze objects from Scandinavia. Eleven objects showed isotope ratios and chemical signatures, such as silver and antimony concentrations, that matched the Spanish mining material.
Seven of the Scandinavian objects were assigned to Period V of the Nordic Bronze Age, roughly 900-700 BC, which overlaps with the final mining phase at Las Minillas. Two other objects belonged to Period VI, dated between 700-500 BC.
The findings suggest southern Iberia may have played a larger role in the prehistoric copper supply as production in other regions, such as Wales and the Austrian Alps, declined. The researchers noted that the precise routes and mechanisms used to transport the metal remain uncertain.