Arrowhead forged from extraterrestrial iron dating back 3000 years discovered close to a European lake.A recent study unveiled that a Bronze Age arrowhead, found in Switzerland, originated from a meteorite.The arrowhead, measuring 39 millimeters (1.5 inches) in length, originates from a pile-dwelling site located in Mörigen on Lake Biel. Experts from the Natural History Museum of Bern meticulously analyzed this archaeological discovery, unearthed during the 19th century.
While objects made from meteoritic iron have been found in multiple countries including Turkey, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and China, such items were previously only discovered in two locations in central and western Europe, both within Poland.
With the recent identification of a meteorite-based arrowhead, researchers have now added Mörigen as a third European site where such artifacts have been detected.
Initially, experts believed that the iron used in creating the arrowhead came from the Twannberg meteorite, which fell just a short distance from the pile-dwelling site.
However, a detailed analysis of the iron has disproven this theory. The material also does not match that of a meteorite that fell in Poland.
How Arrowhead forged from extraterrestrial iron dating back 3000 years discovered close to a European lake.
In Europe, only three meteorites share a similar chemical composition. Among these, researchers argue that the most likely source was the one located in Kaalijarv, Estonia. This meteorite impact occurred around 1500 BC and generated numerous smaller fragments, as outlined in the study.
According to Beda Hofmann, the study’s lead author and the head of the Earth sciences department at the Natural History Museum of Bern, some of these fragments would have made their way southwest to Switzerland through trade routes.
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Arrowhead forged from extraterrestrial iron dating back 3000 years discovered close to a European lake.
“Trade across Europe during the Bronze Age is a well-established fact: Amber from the Baltic (like the arrowhead, presumably), tin from Cornwall, glass beads from Egypt and Mesopotamia,” she said via email.
“(It) probably just took a bit longer than today, and the masses were a few tons and not millions (of tons),” Hofmann Said.
Summary
“A recent study revealed a stunning archaeological find: a meteorite-forged arrowhead from the Bronze Age discovered in Switzerland.”This unique arrowhead, measuring 39 millimeters (1.5 inches) in length, hails from an ancient pile-dwelling site on Lake Biel in Mörigen. The Natural History Museum of Bern’s team expertly analyzed the artifact, which they unearthed during excavations in the 19th century.
Your Briefing
Meteoritic iron objects have surfaced in numerous nations, encompassing Turkey, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and China. However, these discoveries were once limited to only two locations in central and western Europe, both situated within Poland.”The discovery of a meteorite-based arrowhead in Mörigen adds to the list of European sites that have revealed these extraordinary artifacts, marking it as the third.”
Initially, experts believed the arrowhead’s iron came from the nearby Twannberg meteorite. However, detailed analysis proved this wrong, ruling out both Twannberg and a Polish source. Among Europe’s similar meteorites, Kaalijarv in Estonia is the likely origin. This meteorite’s impact around 1500 BC produced fragments that likely traveled southwest to Switzerland via trade routes.
Why Extraterrestrial iron dating
During the Bronze Age, inhabitants of the pile-dwelling communities around Swiss lakes primarily engaged in activities such as farming, hunting, and fishing. Nevertheless, indications, such as the discovery of bronze casting molds in Mörigen, suggest that a portion of the population had honed specific expertise, according to the researcher.
We’ve documented the research findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
