THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

IRON.
C09
610 IRON.
(B.C. 600) imported it from Tartessus (Tarshish) in Spain, that
is, from the people of Gades, who in their turn procured it from
the Cassiterides, a group of small islands off the north-west
coast of Spain. The Gaditani carefully kept secret the position
of these islands from the Romans, until P. Crassus, Caesar's
lieutenant, crossed over to the islands and examined the
mines ^ Tin was also obtained on the mainland of Spain in
'
the parts \ying beyond Lusitania.'
There was likewise the tin of Cornwall, which had been
worked and exported for a considerable time before the voyage
of Pytheas {circ. ^^.c. 850).
But there is a third stanniferous region in Europe, that of
Saxony, Bohemia, and Hungary.
Now it is most improbable that the art of making bronze
would have been discovered in any region except one in which
copper and tin were produced side by
side. For it is ridiculous
1
llirlgeway, "Greek Trade Houtes to Britain" (Folk-lore Journol, vol. i.),
pp. 10 11. Mr S. lieinach holds that the Cassiterides are the British Isles,
and he derives from them the Greek name for tin,
" le noni grec de I'etain,
\o(T(riTepos, etait celtiqne et qu'il derivait dii nom des iles Cassiterides (iles
Britaniii(iues), comuK! ccilui du lauvre de I'ile de Chypre et cehii du bronze de
Bruiulisiiim en Italie " (J5ertrand and Heinach, Lea Ce-lten, p. 85; S. Reinaeh,
L