Iron from meteorite used for Egyptian dagger

StudyHall.Rocks
The king's dagger was made with iron from a meteorite.
The king's dagger was made with iron from a meteorite.
A dagger found among the resplendent treasures in the tomb of King Tutankhamun was made with iron from a meteorite.

   The tomb was discovered in the 1920s, and since then the origin of the iron blade has been the subject of debate and controversy, noted a recent study by Italian and Egyptian researchers.
    Iron was used sporadically in the Eastern Mediterranean area from the late Neolithic period to the Bronze Age. “Beyond the Mediterranean area, the fall of meteorites was perceived as a divine message in other ancient cultures,” recounted the research, published in the journal, Meteorics and Planetary Science. Iron has been found in small tools and ceremonial objects.
    Few detailed scientific analyses have clearly reported the identification of meteoric iron in ancient artifacts, the research said.
    The researchers described the dagger as having a “finely manufactured blade, made of non-rusted, apparently homogeneous metal. Its handle is made of fine gold, ... decorated with cloisonné and granulation work and ends with a pommel of rock crystal. Its gold sheath is decorated with a floral lily motif on one side and with a feathers pattern on the other side, terminating with a jackal's head.” 
    The study showed that the blade's composition -- determined through portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry -- supports the conclusion that the iron was from a meteor. “As the only two valuable iron artifacts from ancient Egypt so far accurately analyzed are of meteoritic origin, we suggest that ancient Egyptians attributed great value to meteoritic iron for the production of fine ornamental or ceremonial objects up until the 14th (century) B.C.,” the research said.
    Scientists have long studied treasures of Egyptian King Tutankhamun, who reigned from 1333 to 1323, B.C. British archeologist Howard Carter (1873-1939) found the tomb in 1922, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, the burial site of pharaohs in Upper Egypt.
rotated knife.jpg

    Related:

    NASA's asteroid plans: A primer

   If you would like to comment, give us a shout, or like us on Facebook and tell us what you think.