An ancient Bronze Age arrowhead discovered in Switzerland in the 19th century reveals an unexpected origin

An ancient Bronze Age arrowhead found in Switzerland during the 19th century has been found to have an unexpected origin – it was made from iron that came from a meteorite that fell from the sky.

According to findings published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the arrowhead was made from a meteorite, which is a remarkable discovery that sheds light on the prehistoric humans’ practices.

Scientists have made an even more intriguing revelation about this find – the meteorite likely originated from as far away as Estonia. This suggests the existence of extensive trade networks that existed thousands of years ago.

Geologist Beda Hofmann from the Natural History Museum of Bern and the University of Bern led the search for ancient artifacts made of meteoritic iron, as pure iron was a scarce resource in prehistoric times. Instead, our ancestors utilized iron from meteorites that had fallen to Earth. Iron meteorites, which can endure atmospheric entry, are more commonly found and consist mainly of iron with small amounts of nickel and other metals. It is presumed that almost all Bronze Age iron tools and weapons were made from these meteorites.

While most meteoritic iron artifacts have been discovered in the Middle East, Egypt, and Asia, a few have been found in Europe as well. The settlement of Mörigen in Switzerland, flourishing during the Bronze Age around 800 to 900 BCE, seemed to be a promising location for such discoveries. It is close to the Twannberg field, known for meteoritic iron fragments from an ancient impact dating back to before the last ice age.

Among the objects previously excavated from Mörigen, Hofmann’s team found a solitary iron arrowhead. It displayed the characteristic iron and nickel composition of meteoritic iron, along with traces of radioactive aluminum-26, which forms only in space. However, the mix of metals in the arrowhead did not match those found in the local meteoritic iron, indicating that it belonged to a specific class of iron meteorite called IAB meteorites.

Narrowing down the possible sources, the researchers believe the arrowhead best matches the Kaalijarv, an IAB meteorite that fell around 1500 BCE and scattered fragments suitable for reshaping into arrowheads. The surprising aspect is Kaalijarv’s location, which is approximately 994 miles or 1,600 kilometers away from Mörigen, suggesting the possibility that it traveled significant distances through ancient trade routes. This finding sheds new light on the trade networks and interactions of prehistoric civilizations.