Scientists discover meteoritic iron in a 3,000 year old Spanish treasure

Archaeologists and scientists identified extraterrestrial origins for two artifacts within the Tesoro de Villena, a prehistoric treasure found in Spain.

The treasure was first discovered in December 1963 by archaeologist José María Soler García in the Villena area of the Alicante province. The collection consists of 59 objects weighing nearly 10 kilograms, including 27 bracelets, 11 cups, and various items made of gold, silver, and iron. These artifacts date back to the Copper Age.

Researchers noted that the presence of iron in the collection caused confusion regarding its age. During that period, Western Europe primarily used copper and bronze, as the processing of iron from earth minerals had not yet become common in the region. Two specific items, an open bracelet and a small hollow hemisphere believed to be part of a sword hilt, were made of dark, oxidized metal.

A study published in the journal Trabajos de Prehistoria confirmed that the metal for these two items came from a meteorite. This discovery explains why the iron appeared in a collection from an era before local iron smelting was widespread.