Research Reveals Iron Dagger Found in King Tut's Tomb Was Made Out of Meteorite
Structures like pyramids are proof that Egyptians were expert craftsmen. Archeologists on a routine basis, unearth marvellous discoveries originating from the Egyptian civilization. A particular finding that startled civilians was a dagger uncovered in King Tutankhamun's tomb, Popular Science reported.
The presence of weapons in tombs is common, but the material used to forge this dagger was unusual for humans. As per the study published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the dagger was made of materials from outer space.
Archeologist Howard Carter discovered the knife in King Tut's tomb at the Valley of the Kings near Luxor (ancient Thebes), HISTORY reported. The blade sported a gold handle ending in a round crystal knob. It was enclosed in a case adorned with a pattern of feathers, lilies, and the head of a jackal. The finding attracted a lot of attention because iron as a commodity was considered extremely valuable during Tutankhamun’s reign.
The team associated with the study analyzed the knife buried back in the 14th century through methods like X-ray, Popular Science reported. The 13-inch dagger was revealed to be made of iron that contained relatively high levels of nickel and small levels of cobalt. This implied that the iron ore in place was not terrestrial by origin, and came from a meteorite. Experts were not surprised by this discovery.
Prior to the Iron Age in Egypt, craftsmen and builders procured iron mainly from meteorites, Popular Science reported. It was easier for them to extract iron from meteorites due to its composition and shape.
The Egyptians knew the origin of the meteorites and called them "iron from the sky," HISTORY reported. Examinations conducted during the 1970s and 1990s were the first to indicate the extraterrestrial origins of the dagger. At that time the researchers were not taken seriously, but technological advancement has validated this assertion.
The study led by the Polytechnic University of Milan, the University of Pisa in Italy, and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo compared the iron in the dagger to 11 meteorites. As per experts, the iron in the dagger was most similar to elements found in Kharga, which was discovered near Marsa Matruh in 2000.
King Tut's tomb remains an object of fascination for historians all over the world even after years of discovery. The recent space connection is only going to add to the mystery of this majestic tomb.