Monday, August 19, 2013

Earliest known iron artifacts came from meteorite, researchers say | The Space Reporter

Earliest known iron artifacts came from meteorite, researchers say | The Space Reporter

According to a news release from the University College London, researchers have demonstrated that ancient Egyptian iron beads kept at the UCL Petrie Museum were made from pieces of meteorites, as opposed to iron ore. The ancient Egyptian beads, which chart their inception to outer space, also precede the rise of iron smelting by 2,000 years.

Painstakingly crafted into thin sheets before being  shaped into tubes, the nine beads were initially joined together into a necklace along with other enticing minerals like gold and gemstones, showing the high value of this alluring material more than 5,000 years ago.