^aGeological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 96, FI-02151 Espoo, Finland

^bMax-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Postfach 3060, D-55020 Mainz, Germany

Xenoliths derived from the middle layer B (at  110–180 km depth), which is the main source of harzburgitic garnets and peridotitic diamonds in these kimberlites, are characterised by unradiogenic Os isotopic composition. ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os shows a good correlation with indices of partial melting implying an age of  3.3. Ga for melt extraction. This age corresponds with the oldest formation ages of the overlying crust, suggesting that layer B represents the unmodified SCLM stabilised during the Paleoarchean. Underlying layer C (at 180–250 km depths) is the main source of Ti-rich pyropes of megacrystic composition but is lacking harzburgitic pyropes. The osmium isotopic composition of layer C xenoliths is more radiogenic compared to layer B, yielding only Proterozoic T_RD ages. Layer C is interpreted to represent a melt metasomatised equivalent to layer B. This metasomatism most likely occurred at ca. 2.0 Ga when the present craton margin formed following continental break-up. Shallow layer A (at  60–110 km depth) has knife-sharp lower contact against layer B indicative of shear zone and episodic construction of SCLM. Layer A peridotites have “ultradepleted” arc mantle-type compositions, and have been metasomatised by radiogenic ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os, presumably from slab-derived fluids. Since layer A is absent in the core of the craton, its origin can be related to Proterozoic processes at the craton margin. We interpret it to represent the lithosphere of a Proterozoic arc complex (subduction wedge mantle) that became underthrusted beneath the craton margin crust during continental collision  1.9 Ga ago.