The Villena treasure, also called the Villena hoard or the Treasure of Villena, was discovered by archaeologists in Spain more than 60 years ago. It has been considered by many as one of the greatest hoard finds involving gold during Europe's Bronze Age, which ranged between 2000 BC and 500 BC. The period is known for replacing stone tools and weapons with the metal alloy bronze.
Now, a new study led by researchers in Spain and Saudi Arabia discovered that parts of the Bronze Age Treasure of Villena were crafted with an extraterrestrial metal called meteoric iron. The new research paper determined two of the artifacts in the Villena hoard are comprised of alien metal, which originated from a meteorite that fell to Earth approximately 1 million years ago.
The discovery sheds light on the possibility that there are other ancient artifacts in Spain and other parts of the world that could have been crafted with metals that are out of this world. Furthermore, the findings of the study confirm previous evidence that space objects like asteroids or comets have contributed to our planet's rocky or metallic resources, some of which can be sold at a high price.
Alien Metal in Bronze Age Treasure
The researchers published their scientific report of the alien metal in two artifacts from the Villena treasure in the journal Trabajos De Prehistoria in December 2023.
The study identified two pieces of meteoric iron, a hollow semisphere with a gold sheet on top, and an open C-shaped bracelet or ring. Since their discovery in 1963, it has generated controversy surrounding the artifacts' chronology, according to a research paper.
To address this mystery, new data from fresh analyses support the evidence that both pieces are made of meteoritic iron. The exact location of the remnants of the meteorite, which the artifacts are crafted with, still remains a mystery. This implies the potential of locating their chronology dating back to the Late Bronze Age, a time before the beginning of the production of terrestrial iron, according to the authors of the study.
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What is Meteoric Iron?
Meteoric iron or iron meteorite is composed of an iron-nickel alloy accompanied by a crystalline structure called the Widmanstatten texture, according to the Natural History Museum.
Evidence suggests that the majority of these iron meteorites likely came from the core of large asteroids or space rocks and they are more recognizable than other types of meteorites, as stated by Arizona State University.
The team got their findings by using mass spectrometry, a technique that measures molecular changes. They compared traces of iron-nickel alloy that are related to that found in meteoric iron. Due to the similarity of compositions of the artifacts, one of the paper's authors, Ignacio Montero Ruiz from Spain's Institute of History, said both objects could have originated from a single meteorite.
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