Cassiterite
“The tin mineral that launched the Bronze Age”
Mineral
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral and the world's primary ore of tin. Its discovery and trade were pivotal in human history — when combined with copper, tin creates bronze, the alloy that defined an entire era of human civilization.
Composition
tin dioxide (SnO₂)
Where Found
Cornwall (England), Bangka Island (Indonesia), Yunnan (China), Bolivia, Malaysia
Mohs Hardness
6-7
Fun Fact
Ancient Phoenician traders sailed all the way to Cornwall, England — which they called the 'Cassiterides' or Tin Islands — to obtain cassiterite for the Mediterranean bronze trade.
Test Your Knowledge
Why was the ancient Cornish tin trade so significant for Bronze Age Mediterranean civilisations?
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