Tin is one of the earliest metals to have been exploited in Britain.
Chalcolithic metal workers discovered that by putting a small proportion of tin (5 – 20%) in molten copper, the alloy bronze was produced.
The alloy is harder than copper.
The oldest production of tin-bronze is in Turkey about 3500 BC, but exploitation of the tin resources in Britain is believed to have started before 2000 BC, with a thriving tin trade developing with the civilisations of the Mediterranean.
The strategic importance of tin in forging bronze weapons brought the south west of Britain into the Mediterranean economy at an early date.
Later tin was also used in the production of pewter.

Mining in Cornwall has existed from the early Bronze Age Britain around 2150 BC.

Cornwall was traditionally thought to have been visited by Phoenician metal traders from the eastern Mediterranean, but this view changed during the 20th century, and Timothy Champion observed in 2001 that "The direct archaeological evidence for the presence of Phoenician or Carthaginian traders as far north as Britain is non-existent".
Britain is one of the places proposed for the Cassiterides, that is "Tin Islands", first mentioned by Herodotus.

The tin content of the bronze from the Nebra Sky Disc dating from 1600 BCE, was found to be from Cornwall.

Originally it is likely that alluvial deposits in the gravels of streams were exploited, but later underground mining took root.
Shallow cuttings were then used to extract ore.
Tin is one of the earliest metals to have been exploited in Britain. Chalcolithic metal workers discovered that by putting a small proportion of tin (5 – 20%) in molten copper, the alloy bronze was produced. The alloy is harder than copper. The oldest production of tin-bronze is in Turkey about 3500 BC, but exploitation of the tin resources in Britain is believed to have started before 2000 BC, with a thriving tin trade developing with the civilisations of the Mediterranean. The strategic importance of tin in forging bronze weapons brought the south west of Britain into the Mediterranean economy at an early date. Later tin was also used in the production of pewter.
Mining in Cornwall has existed from the early Bronze Age Britain around 2150 BC.
Cornwall was traditionally thought to have been visited by Phoenician metal traders from the eastern Mediterranean, but this view changed during the 20th century, and Timothy Champion observed in 2001 that "The direct archaeological evidence for the presence of Phoenician or Carthaginian traders as far north as Britain is non-existent". Britain is one of the places proposed for the Cassiterides, that is "Tin Islands", first mentioned by Herodotus.
The tin content of the bronze from the Nebra Sky Disc dating from 1600 BCE, was found to be from Cornwall.
Originally it is likely that alluvial deposits in the gravels of streams were exploited, but later underground mining took root. Shallow cuttings were then used to extract ore.
Mining in Cornwall and Devon