Modern research confirmed an iron dagger buried alongside Pharaoh Tutankhamun was forged from an extraterrestrial meteorite that fell to Earth, SpaceDaily reported. The weapon lay wrapped in burial linen next to the pharaoh's mummy for more than 3,000 years. Archaeologists first found the dagger in 1925 during a study of the mummy, alongside a second dagger that featured a gold blade.
Iron was an extremely rare and valuable material in 14th-century BCE Egypt. The 34.2-centimeter iron blade had a gold hilt, a rock crystal pommel, and a heavily decorated gold sheath. Despite spending more than three millennia in the tomb, the blade practically did not rust.
Chemical analysis of the blade
Decades of debate over the origin of the metal led a research team under Daniela Comelli of the Polytechnic University of Milan to examine the weapon in 2016. Using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, scientists established that the blade contains 10.8 percent nickel and 0.58 percent cobalt. The publication noted that this specific ratio served as key proof of extraterrestrial origin.
Researchers compared the composition against 20 known iron meteorites found within 2,000 kilometers of the Red Sea coast. The Kharga meteorite proved closest in characteristics, though scientists stressed that one match out of 20 finds was a persuasive hint rather than a definitive confirmation.
Forging techniques and historical links
Japanese scientists conducted a detailed surface study in 2022, discovering nickel-rich bands and inclusions of troilite. The authors stated that the preservation of these minerals indicates the dagger was made using low-temperature forging, as intense heat would have destroyed the structures. The finding complicated which specific meteorite supplied the metal, leaving debate ongoing among scientists.
Chemical analysis of the gold hilt suggested it might have been manufactured outside Egypt. Scientists consulted the Amarna letters, which record an iron dagger with a gold hilt given as a gift to an Egyptian pharaoh, though researchers emphasized this remains a hypothesis.
The dagger is not an isolated artifact, as tests on other Bronze Age objects including Egyptian beads, axes, pendants, and jewelry also revealed meteoritic origin. The publication noted that before iron smelting spread after roughly 1200 BCE, the sky was the only source of the metal. Scientists consider analyzing other unstudied iron objects from the tomb as their next important step.
Roman villa discovery in Devon
In separate archaeology news, UNIAN reported that archaeologists in Devon discovered the remains of a large fourth-century Roman villa hidden under farmland for more than 1,600 years.
The most valuable find was a multicolored mosaic with a floral ornament, marking the westernmost example of such work in Roman villas in Britain. Researchers also uncovered a Roman bathhouse, outbuildings, and artifacts reflecting the life of a wealthy family.
