At first, the Elmar Buchner team was permitted only to test pieces from the outside of the statue. But as time passed, they were able to take samples from the inside. The researchers identified the material as ataxite, an iron meteorite with high levels of nickel. The world has only a few samples of this kind of material.
The Buchner team says a number of cultures used meteorite iron to create knives and jewelry, including carvings of birds. The researchers also said many ancient cultures worshipped rocks from space.
Elmar Buchner says the iron man is the only known human figure carved into a meteorite. He says, “If our estimation of its age is correct and it is nearly a thousand years old, it could be invaluable.”
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25