A team of researchers from Spain and Saudi Arabia has analyzed the so-called “Treasure of Villena,” discovered on the Iberian Peninsula in 1963. These ancient valuables were stored for over 60 years in a local archaeological museum. The 3,000-year-old collection includes 59 artifacts—bowls, bottles, and ornaments made of gold, silver, amber, and iron.
What surprised the researchers
Using mass spectrometry, the scientists found that two objects from the Bronze Age hoard—a hemispherical piece and a bracelet—contained meteoritic iron. The hemisphere may have been used as a decorative finial. According to the researchers, the celestial body from which the material came struck the Earth over a million years ago.
The first object contained 5.5% meteoritic iron, while the second had 2.8%, according to Daily Mail.
The scientists explained that meteoritic iron (an iron-nickel alloy) is present in certain types of stony meteorites, which mainly consist of silicates—compounds of silicon and oxygen.
“Since this material came from space, it contains an iron-nickel alloy with varying levels of nickel,” the researchers stated. The objects also included other trace elements, among which cobalt was identified as particularly significant.
The “Treasure of Villena,” discovered on the Iberian Peninsula, gave scientists an opportunity to study the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. The artifacts were found by archaeologist José María Soler in December 1963 while excavating the dry riverbed of Rambla del Panadero near the town of Villena. About 90% of the treasures were made of 23.5-karat gold.
Researchers believe the treasure belonged to a community, not a royal family, as there were no kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula at that time. They suggest the collection originated in the Mediterranean region.
Lead author Ignacio Montero Ruiz, a researcher at the Institute of History in Spain, explained: “The technology used to work with meteoritic iron was entirely different from that used with copper or precious metals like gold and silver. So, those who began working with meteoritic iron—and later with terrestrial iron—had to innovate and develop new technologies.”
He also noted that nickel levels in terrestrial iron are typically low—or very low—and often undetectable through standard analysis.
Working with extraterrestrial material: a known ancient practice
The use of meteoritic material in ancient craftsmanship is not new to science.
In 2016, a team of researchers from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Polytechnic University of Milan, and the University of Pisa examined a dagger from Tutankhamun’s tomb. The dagger was discovered in 1922 among other burial treasures by archaeologist Howard Carter. The blade of the ornately decorated weapon was made of meteoritic iron. The researchers used the same technology that was employed in the analysis of the Villena treasure. They compared the blade’s composition to that of the Kharga meteorite, which was found in 2000 on the Maras-Matruh plateau, about 240 kilometers from Alexandria.
The dagger is considered one of the most remarkable items buried with the young pharaoh (Tutankhamun lived only 19 years). It features a golden handle with fine embossing, inlaid gemstones, and a crystal pommel. Its golden sheath is decorated with floral patterns and ornamental designs.