Early Iron Age jewelry discovered in Poland was found to contain iron from meteorites, according to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The research revealed that approximately 26 pieces of jewelry, including three bracelets, a necklace, and a pin found in an ancient cemetery, contained meteorite iron.
The researchers stated, "This modest number of examples still constitutes one of the largest collections of meteorite-derived iron artifacts found in an archaeological site worldwide."
Scientists believe that people from the Lusatian culture, who lived between 750 and 600 BC, knowingly melted and used meteorite iron to create specific patterns in their jewelry.
Various techniques, including X-ray fluorescence and electron microscopy, were used to determine the elemental composition of the ancient artifacts.
The findings suggest that ancient inhabitants of Poland were aware of iron processing much earlier than previously thought.
