The stable isotopic composition of historical black powder applicable to a J apanese T anegashima matchlock

The objective of the present study is to employ stable isotope ratio measurements (δ 15 N, δ 34 S and δ 13 C) of the nitrogen, sulphur and carbon in black powder (a mixture of saltpetre, native sulphur and charcoal) as a means of source identification. A sum total of 20 samples of historical black powder applicable to matchlocks were collected from six locations throughout J apan. This classic type of hand gun prevailed up to the introduction of the modern rifles, with quicker loading and higher efficiency, in the mid‐to‐late 19th century. δ 13 C charcoal carbon values showed the predominant use of C 3 plants as a source material. Except for a few unusual samples with a probable exotic origin, δ 15 N saltpetre nitrogen values were largely consistent with those of domestic products using classical biotechnology. The isotopic analysis for native sulphur (δ 34 S native sulphur ) indicates a complicated marketing route.