An ancient Bronze Age artifact hoard contains two metal objects made from iron from a meteorite that fell to Earth approximately 1 million years ago.
New analysis reveals that a Bronze Age artifact hoard includes objects made from extraterrestrial metal, specifically meteorite iron, Live Science reported on February 6. The artifact hoard, known as the “Treasure of Villena,” was discovered by archaeologists in a pit in Alicante Province, Spain, in 1963 and consists of 59 jars, bowls, and exquisite jewelry made from gold, silver, amber, and iron.
Replicas of artifacts from the Treasure of Villena in Spain. (Photo: Lanmas/Alamy).
Upon discovering the artifact hoard, the research team noted intriguing details about some of the iron items. They described them as being made from “dark metallic material, shiny in some spots, covered with an oxide layer resembling iron and cracked.”
In a recently published study in the journal Trabajos de Prehistoria, the iron in two artifacts was identified as originating from a meteorite that fell to Earth around 1 million years ago. The research team examined two iron objects, including a C-shaped bracelet and a hollow sphere covered in gold, which may have once been used to decorate a sword hilt. Both items were crafted around 1400 – 1200 BC.
“These artifacts are likely a hidden treasure belonging to the community rather than an individual. There were no kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula during this period,” stated Ignacio Montero Ruiz, a senior author of the study and an expert at the Spanish Institute of History.
Using mass spectrometry, a technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, they detected traces of an iron-nickel alloy similar to that found in meteorite iron. Montero Ruiz suggested that the composition of the artifacts is very similar, indicating that both may have been crafted from the same meteorite. “The techniques used with iron are entirely different from those employed in metallurgy for copper and precious metals (gold, silver). Therefore, those who initially worked with meteorite iron and terrestrial iron must have had to innovate and develop new technologies,” he added.
The research team is uncertain about who crafted the artifacts or their specific origins. However, they are aware that these are the earliest and oldest meteorite iron objects found in the Iberian Peninsula. The artifacts also provide valuable information about metallurgical activities at the end of the Bronze Age. They are currently part of the collection at the Archaeological Museum in Villena, Spain.
