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A mace is a butt weapon that is composed of a metal head that is mounted on a wooden haft. The paper deals with the origins of medieval mace heads that were discovered in Polish lands; these have been a subject of debate since they were first discovered there. In previous research, only form and decoration were used to determine the provenance of these artefacts. A technological analysis (ED-XRF, SEM) and provenance analysis of the raw material using lead isotope ratio analysis (MC-ICP-MS) of 5 artefacts from Poland allowed us to draw a preliminary correlation between the type of raw material that was used to make the objects and its availability. A mace head that was discovered along the well-known trade route from the British Isles along the Oder line in the early Middle Ages was made from raw material whose lead isotope signature is consistent with ores from the British Isles, while another example that was discovered to the east of this route were copper alloys with added lead with isotope ratios compatible with ores from Upper Silesia-Krakow Upland region. In juxtaposition with the stylistic forms, the obtained results showed that a formal analysis alone was not sufficient to determine the place of manufacture (and could even be misleading at times).
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