In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified two Bronze Age artifacts from the Treasure of Villena in Spain, dating back to 1400-1200 BCE, as being made from meteoritic iron, not terrestrial metal. This revelation, led by Salvador Rovira-Llorens, challenges previous understandings of metalworking skills in the Iberian Peninsula over 3,000 years ago. The artifacts, a bracelet and a hollow hemisphere, part of a collection found in 1963, were analyzed using mass spectrometry, revealing a high nickel content indicative of meteoritic origin. This finding not only solves the puzzle of their place within the Treasure of Villena but also marks them as the first known items in the Iberian Peninsula to be made from meteoritic iron, predating the widespread use of smelted terrestrial iron. Although corrosion has complicated the analysis, the researchers suggest further non-invasive techniques could provide more definitive evidence. This discovery adds a significant chapter to the history of early metal use and craftsmanship in Europe.
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