Complex sentence: Agricola, in De Natura Fossilium states that bismuth is a distinct metal in a family of metals including tin and lead in 1546 based on observation of the metals and their physical properties.
Split into simpler sentences: Agricola, in De Natura Fossilium (ca.1546CE) states that bismuth is a distinct metal in a family of metals including tin and lead. This was based on observation of the metals and their physical properties.