(Source: Rob Eagle/UCL Petrie Museum)
According to the news report, the three beads in the center are made of iron.
These were found in a burial from 3200 BCE and according to the referenced article from the online Journal of Archaeological Science:
The production of iron metal from ore only started in the mid-second millennium BC…
There is a gap of a few years here, however the disparity is explained by the presence of unique concentrations of elements that prove it came from a meteorite. According to the article:
X-ray scanners, meanwhile, showed that the meteorite iron had been repeatedly heated and hammered to make the precious jewels for the afterlife.
The researchers say the finding shows that the Egyptians were already advanced in the art in smithing by the fourth millennium BC.
Meteoritic iron is much harder and more brittle than copper, the commonly-worked material of the time.
“They were rolled and hammered into shape,” says Thilo Rehren, a UCL professor of archaeology.
“This is very different technology from the usual stone bead drilling, and shows quite an advanced understanding of how the metal smiths worked this rather difficult material.”
Advanced ancient technology and extraterrestrial components – all in one blog posting!
Have a great day.
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