Produced by: Manoj Kumar
A Bronze Age treasure hoard, unearthed in Spain over 60 years ago, has now been confirmed to contain iron forged from a meteorite—a discovery that reshapes what we know about ancient metallurgy.
A recent study in Trabajos de Prehistoria found that two iron artifacts from the Treasure of Villena—an ornate bracelet and a sword pommel—were crafted from meteoritic iron that fell to Earth a million years ago.
Using mass spectrometry, researchers confirmed that the iron in these objects contained traces of nickel, a telltale signature of extraterrestrial origin. These are the first meteoritic iron objects ever found in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Discovered in a gravel pit in Alicante in 1963, the hoard contained 59 objects, mostly gold, but the presence of iron was puzzling. Experts at the time noted its unusual texture, but its true origin remained unknown—until now.
Ignacio Montero-Ruiz, senior researcher on the study, notes that gold and iron held immense symbolic value. These rare iron artifacts may have belonged to an entire community rather than a single ruler, as no kingdoms existed in the region at that time.
The bracelet, now dulled by time, was once a treasured object crafted from materials rarer than gold. Its meteoritic origin suggests that early civilizations revered celestial metals, possibly linking them to divine or supernatural beliefs.
The study confirms that these artifacts, dated between 1400 and 1200 BC, were created centuries before humans discovered smelting iron from terrestrial sources, making them among the earliest known iron objects in Europe.
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Scientists still don’t know who crafted these artifacts or how they obtained the meteoritic iron. The source meteorite remains unidentified, leaving the true story of these celestial relics an enduring mystery.
The ability to shape and use meteoritic iron was rare in ancient times. This discovery suggests that early civilizations had sophisticated metalworking skills long before the Iron Age officially began.
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