A hoard of Bronze Age treasure found in Spain contains two pieces containing materials that are not from Earth, scientists have confirmed.
The Treasure of Villena, which comprises 59 objects, has two that are made from material including a meteorite.
This discovery makes the Treasure of Villena an even more important archaeological discovery than it already was. It was first discovered in 1965 in a gravel pit in Villena by workers and is made up of gold objects – including bracelets and bowls, along with a smaller number made from silver or iron.
The Treasure of Villena is already kept in an armoured display case in Villena’s archaeological museum due to its huge value – but this latest discovery is sure to make it even more valuable.
Researchers from the National Archaeological Museum, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Saudi Arabia and the Institute of History at the Spanish National Research Council studied some of the pieces, initially to try and provide an accurate date for the treasure, which has been the subject of debate for decades.
They took two tiny pieces from the objects, which were then taken for analysis at the laboratory of the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid.
Now the researchers can confirm the treasure came from the Late Bronze Age (1,400-1,200 BC) using iron from a meteorite.
The two pieces using iron made from a meteorite are a pommel of a sword hit and an open bracelet.
Researchers were able to determine that the iron was not of this Earth because there was not the amount of minerals present that are found in iron derived from this Earth. In meteorite iron, there is more nickel than in wholly Earth iron, and there are other minor and trace chemical elements, such as cobalt.
It is the first such discovery on the Iberian Peninsula.
