Earliest known iron artefacts made from meteorites

Researchers have shown that ancient Egyptian iron beads held at the UCL Petrie Museum were hammered from pieces of meteorites, rather than iron ore. The objects, which trace their origins to outer space, also predate the emergence of iron smelting by two millennia. Further info: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0813/20082013-iron-artefacts Press coverage: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10252529/Ancient-Egyptians-made-jewellery-from-meteorites.html http://www.culture24.org.uk/science-and-nature/space/art448077 http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/20/ancient-egyptian-beads-museum UCL is consistently ranked as one of the world's top universities. Across all disciplines our faculties are known for their research-intensive approaches, academic excellence and engagement with global challenges. This is the basis of our world-renowned degree programmes. Visit us at http://ucl.ac.uk.