Material provenance of late-Roman lead coffins in the Rheinland, Germany

The lead isotope data of lead coffin fragments found in late-Roman cemeteri es in the Rheinland (Koln-Aachen area), Germany, generally cluster in a ver y narrow range. The coincidence of the lead isotope composition with that o f post-Variscan galenas from the Eifel area south of the Rheinland indicate s the provenance of the lead metal from ores mined there. It can be specula ted that at least part of the lead metal of the coffins is a by-product of late-Roman silver production from Eifel galenas.