Ancient Greek Elites May Have Forged Their Jewelry From Space Rocks

Metallic debris from space that survived its fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere may have served as jewelry for ancient elites in Greece, who likely sourced it from Egypt, a new study found.

Meteorites found on Earth today provide scientists with a rare opportunity to study rocky pieces that were once floating throughout the solar system. Centuries ago, meteorites may have served as a precious source of iron during the Bronze Age. A recent survey of artifacts from what is now Greece identified items forged using iron from meteorites, including rings that incorporated other metals like gold or silver.

The findings, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, provide new insight on how the ancient Minoan and Mycenaean elite used the otherworldly metal as a power symbol.

Meteoritic iron was especially prominent during the Bronze Age because people hadn’t yet figured out how to extract iron metal from the raw material. Archeologists have previously found meteoritic iron in artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age in Egypt, Europe, and Asia. Most famously, a dagger found alongside the mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun was crafted with iron that came from meteorites.

It remained unclear, however, whether Bronze Age Greeks also used iron from meteorites to forge accessories and other items. The researchers behind the new study analyzed the chemical composition of over 100 artifacts, focusing on 91 iron items that included rings, bracelets, and knives that date back to 3,800 to 3,000 years ago.

Using new X-ray instruments that can measure the metal chemistry of artifacts without damaging them, the researchers identified 13 items with high enough nickel content for them to likely have come from meteorites.

All of the items were luxury rings that combined iron with gold, silver, or bronze, and the majority of which were found in tombs with other valuable objects. This suggests they were likely adorned by elite members of society as a status symbol.

“These observations led us to speculate that rings likely made out of meteorites may have been popular power symbols among prominent individuals, members of the Minoan and Mycenaean palatial elite,” the authors wrote in the paper.

Meteorites are rarely found on Greek soil since the region lacks dry, arid conditions that would preserve the space rocks. Instead, the meteoritic iron was likely imported from Egypt, where the surrounding desert would have been ideal to keep the meteorites intact.

“Furthermore, the Minoan and Mycenaean worlds were in close contact with Egypt and Near East where Bronze Age artifacts made from meteoritic iron were recently positively identified,” according to the researchers.

The trend of fancy rings forged from space rocks died down by 1200 BCE, either due to lack of supply or just “naturally faded away as does any fashion,” the study notes.