Metal of extraterrestrial origin discovered in Spanish artifacts (5 photos)

Scientists have conducted a new analysis of the “treasures of Villena.” The treasure was discovered in Spain back in 1963. The age of 59 artifacts was estimated at 3000 years.





In two items, researchers identified inclusions of meteorite iron.

Meteoric iron is a metal found in meteorites and composed primarily of mineral phases, most commonly kamacite and taenite.

The gold-plated headdress and bracelet contained particles of a meteorite that fell to Earth about a million years ago.



Thousands of years ago, craftsmen used meteorites to make valuable items; a similar artifact was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

"Treasures of Villena" allows us to understand when people switched from stone to bronze.

The jewels probably belonged to an entire community rather than just one royal family.





Almost the entire collection is made of 23.5 carat gold and includes 11 bowls, 3 bottles and 28 bracelets.

Archaeologist José Maria Soler found the treasure in December 1963, when he and his team were excavating in the dry riverbed of the Rambla del Panadero, about 11 km from Villena.

Since then, the treasures have been kept in the local Museum of Archaeology, which allowed for new analysis.



Scientists from Spain and Saudi Arabia measured the molecules in each of the objects, allowing them to find traces of the iron-nickel alloy.

The headdress contained 5.5% extraterrestrial material, while the bracelet contained only 2.8%.

The study's senior author, Ignacio Montero Ruiz, a researcher at the Institute of Spanish History, said: "Iron production technology differs from metallurgy based on copper and precious metals (gold and silver). Craftsmen who worked with both meteorite and terrestrial iron must have develop new technologies."



"The nickel content of terrestrial iron is low or very low and is often undetectable in analysis," Ruiz added.

In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. Among the artifacts was an ornate gold dagger with a crystal pommel. Only in 2016 were experts able to determine that the blade was made of meteorite iron.