In a recent archaeological revelation that is nothing short of cosmic, researchers have stumbled upon an astonishing discovery in Switzerland: a Bronze Age arrowhead crafted from meteoritic iron.
The Meteorite Arrowhead
Thousands of years ago, during the late Bronze Age (around 900-800 BCE), a skillful artisan decided to forge a deadly weapon using materials from the stars.
Fast forward to today, and a team of curious researchers, scanning an area near Lake Biel in Switzerland, found this relic-a space arrowhead.
This space-sourced weapon weighs just 2.9 grams, is about as light as a small paperclip, and measures 39.3 millimeters in length. The arrowhead was spotted in the remains of a Bronze Age dwelling called Mörigen.
How Researchers Identified the Arrowhead
How did they determine it is actually from space?
According to the study published in The Journal of Archaeological Science, the researchers examined the arrowhead's elemental composition, like analyzing its cosmic fingerprint. They found a perfect match for the specific amounts of nickel and cobalt present in meteorites.
They also dug deeper into the arrowhead's core, discovering two distinct iron phases called kamacite and taenite-commonly found in meteorites.
To top it off, a rare isotope called aluminum-26 was present, serving as a cosmic calling card from outer space.
More Interesting Findings
IFLScience reports that the researchers compared the arrowhead's composition to known meteorites in the vicinity. As it turns out, it did not match up with the local Twannberg meteorite just 8 kilometers (5 miles) away.
Instead, the closest match was a type of meteorite known as an IAB iron meteorite. And here comes the twist-the arrowhead's origin points to an out-of-this-world meteorite called Kaalijarv, which dramatically impacted Earth between 1870 and 1440 BCE.
Picture This
Imagine a blazing meteorite crashing from the sky, causing a massive impact crater and scattering the ground with debris. This ancient warrior may have come across these shards and turned them into useful tools, such as the meteorite-made arrowhead.
It is incredible to think that by 800 BCE, these ancient people, so far distant from our current knowledge, were already dealing with space stuff. This discovery adds a whole new dimension to the Bronze Age.
In Other News
An untouched grave of a mysterious individual was recently discovered, and researchers established that it was a charioteer buried in Kamyshta, Siberia's Askizsky district in Khakassia, Russia, 3,000 years ago.
This also confirms the employment of horsedrawn chariots in the area, which was previously thought to be uncommon among the ancient inhabitants.
This discovery provided scholars with new insights into the region's history and culture, where chariots were a standard mode of transportation.
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