Hi Robin, only short remark, that the iron beads from the Gerzeh tombs are of meteoritic origin (due to their high Ni-content), was already stated in 1932 by Gerald Wainwright. Also Buchwald 1975 seems to have them.
Best! Martin -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Im Auftrag von Robin Whittle Gesendet: Donnerstag, 30. Mai 2013 06:11 An: METEORITE LIST Betreff: [meteorite-list] Nickel-iron meteorite used to make 5, 000 year old Egyptian beads The article: http://www.nature.com/news/iron-in-egyptian-relics-came-from-space-1.13091 reports on an article behind a paywall: Analysis of a prehistoric Egyptian iron bead with implications for the use and perception of meteorite iron in ancient Egypt Diane Johnson, Joyce Tyldesley, Tristan Lowe, Philip J. Withers, Monica M. Grady. Meteoritics & Planetary Science online: 20 May 2013 DOI: 10.1111/maps.12120 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/maps.12120/abstract Abstract: Tube-shaped beads excavated from grave pits at the prehistoric Gerzeh cemetery, approximately 3300 BCE, represent the earliest known use of iron in Egypt. Using a combination of scanning electron microscopy and micro X-ray microcomputer tomography, we show that microstructural and chemical analysis of a Gerzeh iron bead is consistent with a cold-worked iron meteorite. Thin fragments of parallel bands of taenite within a meteoritic Widmanstätten pattern are present, with structural distortion caused by cold-working. The metal fragments retain their original chemistry of approximately 30 wt% nickel. The bulk of the bead is highly oxidized, with only approximately 2.4% of the total bead volume remaining as metal. Our results show that the first known example of the use of iron in Egypt was produced from a meteorite, its celestial origin having implications for both the perception of meteorite iron by ancient Egyptians and the development of metallurgical knowledge in the Nile Valley. The Nature write-up includes a quote from a museum creator that "during the time of the Pharaohs, the gods were believed to have bones made of iron". - Robin ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
