Tutankhamon's sword comes from space
A study dating back about 1 year ago, published on Meteoritica and Planetary Science, showed that the metal with which the sword of Tutankhamon was forged came from the deep space, especially from a meteorite.
The Pharaoh "child", as often defined, governed ancient Egypt between 1332 and 1324 BC, and his tomb was discovered in 1922 during a famous archaeological excavation, along with all his funerary kit.
A team of Italian and Egyptian researchers has demonstrated, through x-ray analysis, that the sword consists predominantly of iron, with small amounts of nickel and cobalt. This unique composition indicates that it was forged using one of the oldest objects of the Solar System: a ferrous meteorite.
The sword is not only a valuable piece of work (it was forged by a great craftsman), but it is proof that the ancient Egyptians began to use meteorite metal long before the Iron Age. At the same time it also began to appear as a particular word among the hieroglyphics, "iron of the sky".
"The introduction of this compound term shows that the Egyptians were already aware of the ferrous meteorites in 1300 BC, anticipating Western culture," writes Daniele Comelli (Politecnic of Milano).
The sword has been analyzed
The technique used to analyze the sword is called x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and bombs x-ray materials; The target radiated radiation varies in wavelength depending on the material, and allows to understand the composition without ruining it in any way.
What is meteorite about?
The researchers consulted the historical records in an attempt to locate the meteorite, within a radius of about 2,000 miles from the find of the sword.
After finding the evidence of the fall of 20 ferrous meteors, they compared the exact composition of the sword to find one that fought perfectly: the Kharga meteorite, found in 2000 in a limestone deposit at Mersa Matruh, a seaport west of City of Alexandria.
The ancients have probably seen the meteorite in the sky, and after observing while breaking into various pieces in the impact with the atmosphere, I traced it by walking for hundreds of miles.
I want it!