The switch from stone to metal in Greece was initially mainly a change in material, but as soon as bronze production was invented problems arose as tin is not indigenous to Greece. Where did the tin used on Crete and the mainland come from? What were the mechanisms involved? How did the trade system work? Did the sources change diachronically and what were the implications? To solve this, it was necessary first to establish which tin-ore sources were used in the BA through finding a materials-analytical method to provenance-determine tin, tin ores and tin in bronzes as there are no written records. Several methods were tried, primarily trace element analysis and isotope identification. Trace elements were inconclusive, isotope analyses seemed better. We determined that (contrary to the previous belief in homogeneity)Sn isotopes varied geographically from place to place. However, we also determined that tin ores in a single site could also vary internally, which eliminates 'fingerprinting' an ore site and matching it to isotopes in tin or bronze objects. Research is ongoing--when and if this initial step is resolved, then the results can be applied to the Aegean Bronze Age to answer questions of contact and trade. This second step is contingent on an understanding of trade theory and mechanisms. Thus concomitantly an indepth study of the social structures and economic factors in the source societies and the receiver societies through time is necessary and is also ongoing.

Books (3)

• Gillis, C. (2007). An introduction to ancient Greece. The Aegean and its neighbors c. 7000-700 B.C. Eisenbrauns.
• Gillis, C., Olausson, D. & Vandkilde, H. (2004). Dawn of Europe. Report Series, 88. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University.
• Gillis, C. (2003). An Introduction to Ancient Greece. The Aegean and its Neighbors c. 7000-700 B.C. Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens historia, Lunds universitet.

Editorships (4)

• Hildebrandt, B. & Gillis, C. (2018). (Eds.) Silk : Trade and exchange along the silk roads between Rome and China in antiquity. Ancient textiles series, 29. Oxbow Books.
• Gillis, C. & Sjöberg, B. (2008). (Eds.) Trade and Production in Premonetary Greece: Crossing Borders. Proceedings of the 7th-9th International Workshops, Athens, 1997-9. SIMA Pb, 173. Paul Åströms förlag.
• Gillis, C. & Nosch, M.-L. (2007). (Eds.) Ancient textiles: Craft, production and society. Oxbow Books.
• Gillis, C. & Nosch, M.-L. (2007). (Eds.) First aid for the preservation of textiles in the field. Oxbow Books.

Articles (2)

• Haustein, M., Gillis, C. & Pernicki, E. (2010). Tin Isotopy- A New Method for Solving Old Questions. Archaeometry, 52, 816-832. John Wiley & Sons.
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• Clayton, R., Andersson, P., Gale, N., Gillis, C. & Whitehouse, M. (2002). Precise determination of the isotopic composition of Sn using MC-ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 17, 1248-1256. Royal Society of Chemistry.
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Book chapters (10)

• Gillis, C. (accepted/in press). Colorful Asine.
• Gillis, C. & Holmer, A. (2012). SI and the Lund experience. In Gärdebo, J. & Wiggberg, M. (Eds.) (pp. 45-60). Uppsala: Report series from the Division for Development of Teaching and Learning.
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• Gillis, C. (2010). The Color Purple. In Faegersten, F., Wallensten, J. & Östenberg, I. (Eds.) (pp. 84-91).
• Gillis, C. (2008). Teaching and Learning, Leading and Following: Who Does What?. In Bommenel, E. & Irhammar, M. (Eds.) (pp. 83-92). Lunds universitet, Centre for Educational Development (CED).
• Gillis, C. (2008). Tin and the Aegean in the Bronze Age. In Tzachili, I. (Ed.) (pp. 133-142). Ta Pragmata Publ.
• Gillis, C. (2004). The use of color in the Aegean Bronze Age. In Cleland, L. & Stears, K. (Eds.) (pp. 56-60), 1267.
• Gillis, C., Clayton, R. & Pernicka, E. (2003). Tin in the Aegean Bronze Age. Université de Liège.
• Gillis, C., Clayton, R., Pernicka, E. & Gale, N. (2003). Tin in the Bronze Age. In Polinger Foster, K. & Laffineur, R. (Eds.) (pp. 103-110), 24.
• Gillis, C., Clayton, R., Andersson, P., Gale, N. & Whitehouse, M. (2002). A diachronic study of metals from Asine: Provenances and implications. In Wells, B. (Ed.) (pp. 71-84), 17. Swedish Institute at Athens.
• Gillis, C., Clayton, R., Pernicka, E. & Gale, N. (2002). Feasibility criteria for the use of tin isotopes in provenance studies.

Conference contributions (10)

• Gillis, C. (accepted/in press). Color for the dead, status for the living. Université de l'État à Liège.
• Gillis, C. (2016). "Color, Materiality, Sensory Experience and Late Bronze Age Burials in the Argolid". In Aslaksen, O. C. (Ed.) Papers and Monographs from the Norwegian Institute at Athens (pp. 191-230), 5. Norwegian Institute of Athens.
• Gillis, C. (2015). A colorful death : A study of the social life of colors in Late Bronze Age grave goods. In Schallin, A.-L. & Tournavitou, I. (Eds.) Skrifter utgivna av Svenska institutet i Athen, 4° (pp. 515-529), 56.
• Gillis, C. & Wallette, A. (2011). Essay SI - Taking SI to a Higher Level.
• Gillis, C. & Bryngfors, L. (2009). Heightening Learning with SI. In Sonesson, A. & Amnér, G. (Eds.) (pp. 150-154). Lund University (Media-Tryck).
• Gillis, C. & Bryngfors, L. (2009). Heightening student learning with SI. In Sonesson, A. & Amnér, G. (Eds.) (pp. 150-154). Lednings- och kompetensutveckling/CED.
• Gillis, C. (2004). The Use of Color in the Aegean Bronze Age. In Cleland, L. & Stears, K. (Eds.) (pp. 56-60). Hedges.
• Gillis, C., Clayton, R. & Andersson, P. (2002). High precision measurement of Sn isotopes by multicollector ICPMS; towards a better understanding of a measurement protocol.
• Gillis, C. (2001). "Status and Prestige in the Late Bronze Age".
• Gillis, C. (2001). "Tin-covered Pottery and Chemical Analyses: a Summary". In Bassiakos, Y., Aloupi, E. & Facorellis, Y. (Eds.) (pp. 451-458).

Reviews (2)

• Gillis, C. (2018). Review of Social Change in Aegean Prehistory, Wiersma (C.W.) and Voutsaki (S.) (eds.). Journal of Hellenic Studies, 138, 283-286. Cambridge University Press.
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• Gillis, C. (2005). Review of L. Hakulin, Bronzeworking on Late Minoan Crete. American Journal of Archaeology, 109, 576-578. Archaeological Institute of America.