Abstract

Lead isotope analyses can be successfully and directly used to differentiate the source of the metal in lead and pewter samples at 17th and 18th century historic sites in central and northeastern North America. The data suggest that a single mineral deposit in the Upper Mississippi Valley (UMV), and at least two in the south-east Missouri (SEM) lead-zinc mining area were exploited. The latter deposits can also be differentiated on the basis of neutron activation analysis (NAA) for their copper and silver contents. With the present small database, NAAcannot be used to distinguish SEM from UMV or European deposits. Tin concentrations suggest that artifact production involved the occasional addition of small amounts of pewter to lead products. Even some of the lead that originated from. Europe contains tin, implying that remelting of metals may have taken place after importation. The ore sources of European leads are not known, because there is no isotopic data base for comparison. It does appear that at least three separate deposits may have been involved.