Archean emplacement of eclogitic components into the lithospheric mantle during formation of the Kaapvaal Craton

Re-Os data for selected whole-rock eclogites and eclogitic sulfide inclusio ns in diamonds from seven kimberlites on the Kaapvaal-Zimbabwe cratons yiel d ages around 3 Ga. The presence of such old eclogitic components in the su bcontinental lithospheric mantle is more common than previously thought. Ov erlap of these ages with those of many cratonic peridotites demonstrates th at incorporation of eclogitic materials accompanied or closely followed cra tonic lithosphere stabilization. Many of these eclogitic components have fr actionated C, N, O, and S isotopic compositions which could have been creat ed at low-temperatures, implying that some style of Archean subduction invo lving emplacement of oceanic lithosphere was part of craton keel developmen t.