Their Swords Came from Stars

Above: King Tutankhamun's meteoritic iron dagger and golden sheath.
Early in the history of civilization, bronze was king. The metal was malleable, strong, and most importantly had a low enough melting point to be easily reachable. The Iron Age and the smelting technology required to forge iron was still a long ways away. However, despite that limitation, certain iron artifacts have still been discovered that date back to the Bronze Age. Where did this metal come from? The answer is in the stars above.
That's right, the iron tools and weapons found from the Bronze Age were made with extraterrestrial metals: meteorites. When celestial bodies were first forming in the solar system, nickel was drawn to their centers. Earth was no exception to this, meaning it is quite rare to find large amounts of nickel on the surface. Terrestrial forged iron reflects this with very low nickel content. Meteorites, however, can contain metals from the cores of these planetoids. This makes them quite rich in rare nickel-iron alloys and easily identifiable as extraterrestrial.
In a study from the Journal of Archaeological Science, geologist Albert Jambon analyzed the composition of a variety of iron artifacts dated before 1200 BCE and incredibly he found they were all meteoritic in origin. The conclusion is obvious— most if not all of these early iron items were made with metals from the stars.
An incredible example of this can be seen in the Egyptian King Tutankhamun's iron dagger, a blade made from meteoritic metal.
Take a look at the full study right here!
Featured Product
Martian Dust Storm NWA 7397 - Martian Meteorite
Cool Things!

Learn how Scientists Used Zircon Crystals to Date a Meteorite Impact!
In a new study, researchers have observed that a meteorite impact in modern day Scotland, thought to have occurred 1.2 billion years ago, was actually much more recent, at around 990 million years ago. Their method: studying the microscopic zircon crystals that they say “captured the impact.”

Scientists at CERN Are Split-Second Alchemists
Although they won’t be turning a profit anytime soon, scientists at CERN have become split-second alchemists, briefly turning lead particles into gold.

Scientists Capture First Ever Recording of a Live Coelacanth in Indonesia!
A living fossil, the Coelacanth is one of the most elusive and fascinating known sea creatures. Scientists have long known of two main species of Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, native to the West Indian Ocean, and Latimeria menadoensis, native to Indonesia. While the Western Indian Coelacanth has been photographed, its Indonesian counterpart was recently photographed for the first time.
Specimen Deep Dives

Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission

The Secrets of the Space Shuttle: Learn about Mini Museum's Shuttle Tile Material!

Gondwana: When the Earth Was One
Long Form Articles

The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.

Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.

Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!