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useablelobster2 t1_it7mb65 wrote

Reply to comment by lostduck86 in Researchers look to unravel story of Islamic glass found in Scottish castle - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News by GullyShotta

Not copper but tin.

Copper was relatively common, and most of the Bronze Age empires had their own supply. Tin was much rarer, and so was traded much further.

I've also heard that the name Britain (and Brittany) come from the Cornish tin trade, but I've not seen evidence.

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goodnightjohnbouy t1_it8oeke wrote

I think its from the name of a tribe of celts that the Greeks believed to be the main tin traders on the fabled isles of cassiterides. They called them something like the prettanoi - but this was first mentioned like 400 years after the tin trading had stopped.

The Romans ran with this theory, the name was latinised, the celts subjugated, a B swapped with a P and boom Britannia it is.

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