The swiss Alps as a copper supply for early bronze Age metallurgy ? A lead isotope analysis

In this article, eleven copper archaeological artifacts from central Valais and attributed to the Early Bronze Age (BzA1), are studied on the basis of analyses of isotopic ratios of lead and the elementary chemical composition. They are compared with new data on the mineralization of Valaisian copper and published analyses covering Europe. This study does not exclude the Valais copper ores sampled as raw material and demonstrates a multiplicity of provenances for the metal and cultural influences in the alpine environment of the Rhone Valais at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age