All articles tagged with #ancient metallurgy
A reanalysis of 3,000-year-old artifacts from Kvemo Bolnisi, Georgia, suggests that early copper smelters experimented with iron oxides as flux, which may have inadvertently laid the groundwork for the development of true iron smelting and the Iron Age, challenging the idea of a sudden technological breakthrough.
Researchers discovered that two corroded artifacts from the 1200-1400 BCE Villena Treasure in Spain are made from meteoritic iron, indicating advanced metalworking techniques involving meteorite material in Iberia over 3,000 years ago.
Spanish researchers have found that two iron artifacts from a hoard of precious treasure dating back to the Late Bronze Age contain iron from meteorites estimated to be around 1 million years old. The artifacts, part of the Villena Treasure, have long puzzled researchers due to their chronology predating the widespread smelting of iron. Analysis using a spectrometer strongly suggests the iron came from space, shedding new light on ancient metallurgy practices and prompting further investigation into the origins of the extraterrestrial material.