14th century BCE – 14th century BCE
Egypt
Tutankhamun’s iron dagger was examined by emission spectral analysis and found to contain a substantial quantity of nickel. Because meteoric iron is characterized in the extract by a nickel content of 4–20 percent, the analysis was interpreted as proving that the dagger’s iron was meteoritic in origin.
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The Story
The iron dagger associated with Tutankhamun was examined through emission spectral analysis. The investigation found that the iron contained a substantial quantity of nickel. In the analytical framework presented here, nickel serves as a critical discriminator between iron derived from meteorites and iron produced by human smelting.
The extract states that meteoric iron always contains nickel in a proportion of roughly 4 to 20 percent. The nickel detected in the dagger was therefore interpreted as evidence that its metal originated in a meteorite. The conclusion rests on chemical composition rather than on the dagger’s appearance or form.
This example illustrates how archaeometry can identify the sources and technological character of ancient materials. It also demonstrates the historical value of trace elements: a small chemical signature can reveal an object’s relation to a non-terrestrial raw material. The passage does not provide the dagger’s findspot or a precise date within Tutankhamun’s reign.
14th century BCE – 14th century BCE
Egypt
Tutankhamun’s iron dagger was examined by emission spectral analysis and found to contain a substantial quantity of nickel. Because meteoric iron is characterized in the extract by a nickel content of 4–20 percent, the analysis was interpreted as proving that the dagger’s iron was meteoritic in origin.
Continue exploring
The Story
The iron dagger associated with Tutankhamun was examined through emission spectral analysis. The investigation found that the iron contained a substantial quantity of nickel. In the analytical framework presented here, nickel serves as a critical discriminator between iron derived from meteorites and iron produced by human smelting.
The extract states that meteoric iron always contains nickel in a proportion of roughly 4 to 20 percent. The nickel detected in the dagger was therefore interpreted as evidence that its metal originated in a meteorite. The conclusion rests on chemical composition rather than on the dagger’s appearance or form.
This example illustrates how archaeometry can identify the sources and technological character of ancient materials. It also demonstrates the historical value of trace elements: a small chemical signature can reveal an object’s relation to a non-terrestrial raw material. The passage does not provide the dagger’s findspot or a precise date within Tutankhamun’s reign.