Ancient Spanish Treasure Reveals Out-Of-This-World Twist: Meteorite Iron Used in Crafts

A remarkable discovery rewrites the story of a Bronze Age treasure trove unearthed in Spain decades ago. While most of the exquisite gold and silver artifacts dazzled archaeologists, recent analysis reveals a surprising twist: some pieces were crafted from iron forged in the fires of a meteorite millions of years ago.

This revelation comes from a study published in the journal Trabajos de Prehistoria, where researchers analyzed two artifacts-a bracelet and a decorative sphere-dating back to 1400-1200 BCE. The unique "dark leaden metal" noted upon discovery in 1963 finally yielded its secret through mass spectrometry. The analysis, as reported by Live Science, pinpointed a nickel composition matching that of meteoritic iron.

This marks a historic first for the Iberian Peninsula, confirming the use of extraterrestrial material in ancient craftsmanship. The discovery not only sheds light on the ingenuity of these early civilizations but also sparks questions about how they obtained and valued this rare material.

The Treasure is exhibited in the Jose Maria Soler Archaeological Museum.

The authors of the paper wrote that the presence in the Villena Treasure (Alicante) of two iron artifacts, a hollow hemisphere and a penannular bracelet or ring, has generated controversy around the chronology of this unique find since its discovery in 1963. The new analytical data here presented points to the use of meteoritic iron for the manufacture of both objects. Such a result places the chronology of the treasure in the Late Bronze Age, before the production of terrestrial iron started.

"The available data suggest that the cap and bracelet from the Treasure of Villena would currently be the first two pieces attributable to meteoritic iron in the Iberian Peninsula," the researchers write in their paper, "which is compatible with a Late Bronze chronology, prior to the beginning of the widespread production of terrestrial iron."

However, the origin of the meteoritic iron and the identity of the community that possessed these treasures remain mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Future research promises to delve deeper into the fascinating story of this ancient treasure, where the line between earthly and cosmic blurs in remarkable ways.