CNN —A Bronze Age arrowhead unearthed in Switzerland was made from a meteor, a new study has found.
The nearly 3,000-year-old artifact was created with iron from a meteorite that landed in Estonia, the study noted.
This indicates that meteoritic iron was traded in Europe by 800 BC or earlier, the researchers said, adding how unusual it is to find meteoritic iron used so early in history.
“Such evidence of an early use of meteoritic iron is extremely rare,” according to a news release on the discovery.
Meteorite originsExperts previously thought the iron used in the arrowhead came from the Twannberg meteorite, which fell to Earth just a few kilometers from the pile-dwelling.
Persons:
Thomas Schüpbach, “, Beda Hofmann, Amber, ”, ” Hofmann
Organizations:
CNN, of Bern, of, “, Archaeological Science
Locations:
Switzerland, Mörigen, Lake Biel, Estonia, Europe, Turkey, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Russia, China, Poland, Bern, Kaalijarv, of Bern, Cornwall, Mesopotamia, Swiss