Martínez Cortizas, AntonioLópez Merino, LourdesBindler, RichardMighall, TimKylander, Malin E.2018-06-012018-06-012016-03-01Martínez Cortizas, A., López-Merino, L., Bindler, R., Mighall, T., Kylander, M E. (2016) Early atmospheric metal pollution provides evidence for Chalcolithic/Bronze Age mining and metallurgy in Southwestern Europe. Science of the Total Environment, 545: 398-406 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.0780048-9697http://hdl.handle.net/10347/16753Although archaeological research suggests that mining/metallurgy already started in the Chalcolithic (3rd millennium BC), the earliest atmospheric metal pollution in SW Europe has thus far been dated to ~ 3500–3200 cal. yr. BP in paleo-environmental archives. A low intensity, non-extensive mining/metallurgy and the lack of appropriately located archives may be responsible for this mismatch. We have analysed the older section (> 2100 cal. yr. BP) of a peat record from La Molina (Asturias, Spain), a mire located in the proximity (35–100 km) of mines which were exploited in the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age, with the aim of assessing evidence of this early mining/metallurgy. Analyses included the determination of C as a proxy for organic matter content, lithogenic elements (Si, Al, Ti) as markers of mineral matter, and trace metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb) and stable Pb isotopes as tracers of atmospheric metal pollutioneng© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ChalcolithicAncient metal pollutionPb isotopesPeat recordsIberian Peninsulajournal article10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.0781879-1026open access