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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDagger in Tutankhamun's tomb was made with iron from a meteorite
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/01/dagger-king-tut-tomb-iron-meteorite-egypt-mummy<snip>
A dagger entombed with King Tutankhamun was made with iron from a meteorite, a new analysis on the metal composition shows.
Burial site of Egypt's boy-king Tutankhamun discovered
Read more
In 1925, archaeologist Howard Carter found two daggers, one iron and one with a blade of gold, within the wrapping of the teenage king, who was mummified more than 3,300 years ago. The iron blade, which had a gold handle, rock crystal pommel and lily and jackal-decorated sheath, has puzzled researchers in the decades since Carters discovery: ironwork was rare in ancient Egypt, and the daggers metal had not rusted.
Italian and Egyptian researchers analysed the metal with an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer to determine its chemical composition, and found its high nickel content, along with its levels of cobalt, strongly suggests an extraterrestrial origin. They compared the composition with known meteorites within 2,000km around the Red Sea coast of Egypt, and found similar levels in one meteorite.
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I love science
dalton99a
(81,569 posts)Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)panader0
(25,816 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Those involved then must have been every bit as thrilled at their discoveries and theories to explain them as we are now.
I love this, too, Malaise. Thanks.
Mosby
(16,342 posts)Rich people get whatever they want.
http://www.williamhenry.com/gentac-galaxy.html?
http://www.mountainhollow.net/knife-meteorite.php
malaise
(269,157 posts)Mosby
(16,342 posts)How many slaves died "working" for kink tut?
Fuck him.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)The researchers wrote in the new study: The introduction of the new composite term suggests that the ancient Egyptians were aware that these rare chunks of iron fell from the sky already in the 13th [century] BCE, anticipating Western culture by more than two millennia.
Ligyron
(7,639 posts)Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)No one knew how to make high carbon steel at the time. Their state of the art was bronze and copper.
Initech
(100,100 posts)which one can't cut through which one?
oasis
(49,401 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)He's an idiot
KelleyKramer
(8,982 posts)oasis
(49,401 posts)The stumbling, bumbling, shit-for-brains imbecile.
Mira
(22,380 posts)...been hanging out with Erich van Daniken
This, my dear malaise, is utterly fascinating and not surprising.
malaise
(269,157 posts)I wish
mcar
(42,372 posts)I love science too.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Hekate
(90,779 posts)...and could be useful if you could figure out how to work it. And they did.
malaise
(269,157 posts)were as a result of objects coming from above not to mention the sun stars, moon, etc.
On the other hand one of my dear friends, a genius of a mathematician, was fascinated with the astronomical alignment of the pyramids of Egypt. He joined many others in the scientific approach to development.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,362 posts)It had to come from somewhere. Meteors burned up and left iron oxide. Meteors survived and left iron.
But, in the days of Tut, iron smelting was probably not yet known, or mature. So most iron objects were probably made of "found" iron, like meteorites in the desert. Apparently, this iron had some impurities that helped it resist rust, like stainless steel.
Today, if I wanted to make a dagger, I would not find iron ore and smelt a chunk. I'd walk (like an Egyptian) along the freeway and find a piece of bumper or broken truck spring and use that "found" iron.
One bozo's archaeological theory.
malaise
(269,157 posts)They say about 5% of earth's crust is iron.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,362 posts)and clunked into the earth.
It's meteorites, I tell ya. All of it. All of us. Meteors, meteorites, and comets, oh my!
I wonder if the pharaohs had any meteorite steel drums ...
malaise
(269,157 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)I just posted a great link - fascinating indeed.
demopilot
(50 posts)everything on this planet is of extraterrestrial origin.