VILLENA – A remarkable discovery has been made by archaeologists in the treasure trove of Spanish history. Among the gold relics of a treasure more than 3,000 years old, jewellery made from iron extracted from meteorites has been found.
This discovery, which took place near Alicante, sheds new light on the metalworking techniques of our ancestors, long before the Iron Age arrived in Spain.
The treasure of Villena
This special treasure, known as the “treasure of Villena”, was discovered in 1963 and consists of 66 objects. Archaeologists praise the collection as evidence of the advanced blacksmithing skills that existed as early as the Late Bronze Age. That was roughly between 1500 and 800 years before our era. Recent research has now shown that two of these objects – a bracelet and a hemisphere, probably part of a sword or staff – are decorated with iron.
Extraterrestrial origin
What makes this find so exceptional is the fact that iron did not exist in Spanish soil 3,000 years ago. The iron for these jewels came from space. Ended up there by meteorites that hit the area. This iron has a much higher iron content than the iron that occurs naturally on earth. Thanks to this unique composition, the archaeologists were able to determine that the objects date from the period 1400 to 1200 BC, well before the start of the Iron Age around 850 BC.
Not unique, but rare
These ‘alien’ objects are not unique in world history. Similar finds have been made in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. A knife with a high nickel content – also an indication of meteoritic iron – was found there. Such objects gave the ancient Egyptians a significant technological advantage, which allowed them to build and expand their empire.
However, such iron objects have not previously been found in Europe. The corrosion that affects iron objects makes it difficult to date them. The Spanish researchers have therefore had their findings confirmed using advanced research techniques.
Tesoro de Villena Museo de Villena
The treasure of Villena is kept in an armoured display case in the city’s archaeological museum due to its enormous value.
Also read: Barcelona was a historic chocolate centre, according to archaeologists’ discovery
