From the Egyptians to the Iberians, passing through the Celts. Archaeologists have found numerous examples of ancient civilizations that used iron from outer space in their metalwork.
The Treasure of Villena. This set of 59 artifacts discovered in Alicante in 1963 caught the attention of archaeologists for two objects made of gold and oxidized iron: a hollow hemisphere and an open bracelet.
Iron was not a material that people knew how to work with 3,000 years ago, so its origin has been the subject of debate ever since.
Reanalyzing the samples. In 2007, tiny samples of both pieces were taken. Rust flakes weighing less than a milligram that did not cause any noticeable damage to the objects.
The studies were inconclusive, but a new analysis X-ray fluorescence has detected the presence of iron and nickel, suggesting that they are the most valuable jewels of the set.
Meteoritic iron. The results suggest that the pieces are made of extraterrestrial iron. The iron-nickel alloy has a nickel content greater than 5%, which distinguishes it from the iron obtained on Earth.
This finding is compatible with its origin from the Late Bronze Age, a time before the widespread production of terrestrial iron. However, analysis of new samples will be needed to confirm this.
The technology of the Iberians. The study, led by the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, suggests that the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula had more advanced metal working techniques than we thought.
These objects are 3,000 years old. The Iron Age, in which cast iron began to replace bronze, began around 850 BC. Everything indicates that the bowl and bracelet from the Villena Treasure are the first two pieces attributable to the meteoritic iron of the Iberians.
Image | National Archaeological Museum
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