There ’s nothing more badass than heading into battle with a space arrow in your quiver , and oneBronze Agedude ( or noblewoman ) knew on the dot how that felt . After scan an area of Switzerland for archaeological artifacts made ofmeteoritic atomic number 26 , investigator discovered a individual arrowhead that had been forged from extraterrestrial metallic element .
report their breakthrough in a young subject , the authors explain how they searched through archaeological collections around Lake Biel , where they came across the projectile tip . Weighing 2.9 grams ( 0.1 ounce ) and measuring 39.3 millimeters ( 1.5 inches ) in duration , the arrowhead was traced to a Bronze Age dwelling called Mörigen , which existed between 900 and 800 BCE .
The meteoritic nature of the iron was confirmed by the front of aluminum-26 isotope , which are only present in objects grow beyond Earth ’s atmosphere . A particular alloy of iron and nickel that occurs only inmeteoriteswas also detect in the arrowhead .
Residues leave behind by an ancient adhesive - most likely birch old salt - were found on the physical object , indicating that it was in all probability attached to a beam of light at one fourth dimension . It ’s ill-defined , though , whether the weapon was used for hunt or in combat .
Given that Mörigen is located less than 8 kilometers ( 5 miles ) from the site of the Twannberg meteorite , thisspace rockwould seem the obvious candidate as the reference of the iron used in the arrowhead . However , after analyse the relic , the written report authors found that the concentrations of nickel and germanium did n’t twin those of the Twannberg meteorite .
Upon closer review , they determined that the weapon was forged from a type of space rock telephone an IAB meteorite , while the mineral makeup suggest that the heavenly object had a pre - atmospheric mass of at least two net ton .
“ Among large IAB meteorites from Europe , three have a chemic composition consistent with the Mörigen arrowhead : Bohumilitz ( Czech Republic ) , Retuerte de Bullaque ( Spain ) and Kaalijarv ( Estonia ) , ” write the survey authors . Of these , only the latter affect during the Bronze Age , make this the most likely prospect for the informant of the arrowhead .
Estimated to have smash landed between 1870 and 1440 BCE , the Kaalijarvmeteoritewould have been known to local populations throughout this historical period , and fragments of the rock and roll may have been distributed amongst other communities . Given that Mörigen is roughly 1,600 kilometre ( 1,000 miles ) from Kaalijarv , the investigator say their discovery “ demonstrate that smoothing iron meteorites were used and traded by 800 BCE ( or to begin with ) in Central Europe . ”
The subject field is published inThe Journal of Archaeological Science .
