Posted on 08/03/2023 12:39:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
An arrowhead likely comprised of material from a meteorite was discovered in Switzerland by a team of archaeologists and geologists, according to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
The team determined that the arrowhead was made of an iron-nickel-aluminium alloy using electron-microscope images, X-rays, and high-energy radiation analysis. The results were then compared with other known meteorite samples.
A bracelet and an ax head from Poland are the only two known archaeological artifacts in central and western Europe made from meteorite material.
Related Articles A sculpture of a woman's head sticking out of mud. Statuary Heads of Two Greek Gods Found in Central Turkey's Ancient City of Aizanoi Rare Roman Gemstone Engraved with Mythological Figure Is Discovered in Italian Lagoon Switzerland has yielded archaeological treasures at Mörigen, a late Bronze Age pile-dwelling that once sat along the shores of a lake. A series of arrowheads made of bronze were discovered at the Swiss archeological site of Mörigen more than 100 years ago, and while there have previously never been any meteorite-related finds, it is known that there was a meteorite fall nearby the site.
The Twannberg iron meteorite is the largest found one known to have reached Switzerland. It split into three fragments that may have been discovered in prehistoric times and used by those at Mörigen to construct the arrowhead.
Chemical evidence suggests that the Twannberg meteorite was not used to make this particular arrowhead, however.
Having ruled out the Twannberg meteorite, the team widened their search, observing that the nickel and germanium concentrations in the Mörigen arrowhead share similarities with the Estonian Kaalijarv meteorite, which fell roughly 3,500 years ago during the Bronze Age and produced a number of small fragments. Even though Estonia is near the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, researchers believe the arrowhead is more likely connected to this meteorite based on similar properties.
Though the team is searching for more artifacts of the same origin to further their study, this meteorite arrowhead could point to a larger network linking Switzerland and Estonia for the trade of such commodities as amber, silex stones, and iron meteorites.
Someone aler Joe Rogan.
I don’t really get what is mystifying archaeologists though. I didn’t see it mentioned in the article?
I don’t understand why this should be ‘mystifying’.
Stuff falls to Earth; people find stuff and move around; stuff moves around with persons, etc.
Jim Bowie’s ancestor.............
Fits right in with the current UFO craze
It seems to have something to do with a lack of evidence of trade lines between where this type of meteorite has been recorded before and where the arrowhead was found.
(As if there had to be some official ‘trade line’, or they’ve found every meteorite that ever fell...)
Unless, maybe it fell to earth looking like that....
“Even though Estonia is near the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, researchers believe the arrowhead is more likely connected to this meteorite based on similar properties.”
The Baltic was already connected by trade routes to everywhere in Europe, and by extension, even to places far outside Europe, in very ancient times, because it was the primary world source of amber. I’m sure along with that trade, the Baltic people traded other valuable things, like meteor iron, as well.
“I don’t really get what is mystifying archaeologists though. I didn’t see it mentioned in the article?”
Headline editors are instructed to add click-bait.
What is mystifying them is that the meteor that the arrowhead was made from was not a locally found meteor, but one that fell in an entirely different region.
They seem to have forgotten (or maybe just the author didn’t know) that this particular region (the Baltic) was already connected to everywhere else in Europe by the amber trade networks.
“I don’t really get what is mystifying archaeologists though. I didn’t see it mentioned in the article?”
I published 57 articles. Many times, I’d see the headline altered by the editor and have no idea it was my article. Sometimes it was almost as if they meant to write a headline for someone else and just stuck it over my byline. In chatting with the editor, I realized she had zero understanding of anything technical. She could plug in and turn on a lamp, but what made it light up might as well have been magic.
Except there is no such lack of evidence. Just the opposite. The amber trade with the Baltic is well established to everywhere in Europe (even far flung islands like Ireland), as far back in antiquity as we see Homo Sapiens living in Europe.
Seems pretty obvious
Alien cave people
That doesn’t mean it didn’t just get there because someone traveled, all apart from ‘trade’ - or that the material didn’t simply fall there, too, and this is all that’s been found of it.
😆
Well, that makes sense.
“(As if there had to be some official ‘trade line’, or they’ve found every meteorite that ever fell...)”
😆
Sure, but it does mean we don’t have to look for other explanations like that to find a possible explanation for its presence. So it’s not “mystifying” in the least.
It’s not mystifying. I can think of several ways it got there.
It’s just so far unexplained to people today.
Ahh The Iron Mistress with Alan Ladd as Bowie.
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