Ancient Iberian Treasure Trove May Contain Earliest Known Meteoritic Iron Artifacts
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A bracelet and hemisphere found in a Bronze Age Iberian treasure trove appear to be made from meteoritic iron rather than terrestrial iron.
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The meteoritic iron artifacts date back to 1400-1200 BCE, consistent with the rest of the collection.
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Meteoritic iron had much higher nickel content than terrestrial iron, allowing tests to determine the material source.
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Despite heavy corrosion, mass spectrometry results suggest the pieces were forged from meteoritic iron.
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If confirmed, these would be the first meteoritic iron artifacts found in the Iberian Peninsula.