Bronze Age Iberians Crafted with Meteoritic Iron Reveals Treasure Find

Photo byPhoto by Andrej Sachov on Unsplash

In a trove of Iberian Bronze Age treasures, researchers have discovered two corroded objects made from meteoritic iron, suggesting advanced metalworking techniques in the region over 3,000 years ago. These objects, a dull bracelet and a rusted hollow hemisphere adorned with gold, were part of the Treasure of Villena, a collection of 66 primarily gold items found in 1963 in Alicante, Spain. This treasure is a significant example of Bronze Age goldsmithing in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe.

The dating of the collection was complicated by the ferrous appearance of the two iron-looking artefacts. The Iron Age in the Iberian Peninsula began around 850 BCE, while the gold artefacts date back to 1500 and 1200 BCE. This discrepancy posed a puzzle regarding the timeline of these iron objects.

Iron artefacts from meteorites, rather than Earth's crust, were highly prized in the Bronze Age. Meteorites have a higher nickel content than terrestrial iron, allowing researchers to distinguish between the two sources. The team tested the artefacts using mass spectrometry to determine their composition. Despite significant corrosion, the results suggested that the hemisphere and the bracelet were made from meteoritic iron.

This finding indicates that the two objects were created around the same time as the other items in the treasure, dating to about 1400 to 1200 BCE. This makes them the first known pieces of meteoritic iron in the Iberian Peninsula, aligning with the Late Bronze Age and predating widespread terrestrial iron production.

While the results are inconclusive due to the corrosion, the researchers propose using more recent non-invasive techniques for further verification. This discovery highlights the advanced metallurgical skills of the time and adds a fascinating dimension to our understanding of prehistoric metal use in the Iberian Peninsula.