The mysterious origins of the material used to make Bronze Age figures produced by Sardinia’s Nuraghe culture have finally been revealed, with help from a new process for analyzing their ancient metals.
Known as bronzetti, the small figures portray a variety of natural and religious subjects, including animals, warriors, and gods. The new study presented researchers with a few surprises, including new evidence supporting a well-connected Bronze Age where groups engaged in trade across long distances.
Seeking Unknown Origins
To trace the beginnings of the bronzetti, researchers examined where the copper used in their production came from. They employed a newly developed “multi-proxy approach,” created at the Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Mannheim. By combining analyses of copper, tin, lead, and osmium isotopes, the team was able to generate new insights into the source of the metals.
“The results show that bronzetti were primarily made from copper from Sardinia, sometimes mixed with copper from the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal),” said lead author Daniel Berger. “The study also revealed that copper from the Levant—places like Timna in Israel and Faynan in Jordan—was not used in Sardinia, which only became clear by looking at osmium isotopes.”
Science and Studying the Past
The team emphasized that archaeology and natural science work hand in hand to illuminate the ancient world. Hard data provides essential tools for addressing abstract questions and settling long-running debates.
“Archaeological methods establish a strong foundation that the latest scientific methods can refine and explain,” said co-author Helle Vandkilde of Aarhus University. “This will bring old discussions to an end. In our case, the very latest geochemical knowledge points to the origin of the metal in specific geographical areas and certain mines.”
“It is also possible in several cases to trace a strategic mix of copper with different origins, presumably to achieve certain effects such as the product’s color and strength,” Vandkilde added.
The research extended beyond small figures to include three of the Nuraghe culture’s largest shrines. Chemical analysis revealed the metals used across all three sites were similar, suggesting a standardized production process that incorporated imported raw materials.
Bronze Age Trading
One of the most striking findings was that local sources of tin and lead were not used in the bronzetti. Instead, these metals were likely imported from the Iberian Peninsula. This conclusion came from comparing isotopic signatures and chemical patterns between the bronzetti and locally manufactured Sardinian tin objects.
“Having the opportunity to analyze the famous bronze figures from Sardinia is an important step towards understanding how the island was a central piece of the metal trade during the Bronze Age,” said Moesgaard Heide Wrobel Nørgaard. “The shape and execution of the figures fit into the material culture of the period, and yet they contain stylistic features that feel amazingly familiar to us in southern Scandinavia.”
The findings don’t close the case on Bronze Age trade, but they provide a foundation for new questions. Researchers now aim to explore how the material culture of Sardinia connects with that of other regions, revealing not only the movement of goods but also the exchange of knowledge and traditions.
“We only have to think of the Viksø helmets or the warriors on our petroglyphs wearing helmets adorned with horns,” Nørgaard continued. “With new knowledge about where the metal for these figures came from, we are now one step closer to mapping the connections between Sardinia and Scandinavia.”
The new paper, “Multiproxy Analysis Unwraps Origin and Fabrication Biographies of Sardinian Figurines: On the Trail of Metal-Driven Interaction and Mixing Practices in the Early First Millennium BCE,” appeared in Science Advances on September 3, 2025.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.