Ancient Meteorite Used to Create Arrowhead 3500 Years Ago

Researchers have recently discovered an arrowhead that was made from a meteorite, as per recent findings. According to NASA, meteoroids are space rocks that come in various sizes, ranging from tiny dust grains to small asteroids. These fragments typically originate from larger celestial bodies that have been shattered or dislodged, such as comets, asteroids, the Moon, or other planets. Meteoroids exhibit different compositions, with some being rocky, others made of metals, and some being a combination of both. If a meteoroid successfully survives its journey through the atmosphere and lands on the surface, it is referred to as a meteorite.

The Arrowhead Meteorite

In the late 19th century, archaeologists found an arrowhead in a Bronze Age dwelling in Morigen, Switzerland. For decades, this 3,000-year-old object has been part of the collection of the Bern Historical Museum.

According to a report by space.com, a recent analysis has revealed a significant discovery of the arrowhead. It turns out that this seemingly ordinary object is far from typical – it was actually formed from a meteorite that crashed into Earth 3,500 years ago. The findings were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Beda Hofmann, chief curator of mineralogy and meteorites at the Natural History Museum in Bern, explained that despite its rust-coated exterior, the arrowhead contains a significant amount of metal. Various techniques were used, including X-ray tomography and gamma spectrometry. These methods revealed the presence of aluminum-26 isotopes, which are rare on Earth, and iron and nickel alloys, which are typically found in meteorites.

The analysis also revealed grinding marks from the meteorite formation process, as well as traces of tar used to attach the tip to the arrow shaft.

At first, researchers suspected a connection between the arrowhead and the Twannberg meteorite site, which dates back 170,000 years and is less than 5 miles from the residence. However, further research showed that the concentrations of nickel and germanium in the arrowhead did not correspond to the concentrations in the meteorite site.

If scientists could find more such meteorites, they would be able to reveal various secrets of the universe that are still hidden.