Ancient Greek Elites' Rings Contained Metals from Outer Space

It has been discovered that some rings belonging to the Minos and Miken elites living in Crete and Greece during the Bronze Age may have been made from iron obtained from meteorites from outside the world. The study examined over 100 artifacts from 33 archaeological sites within the current borders of Greece. The researchers analyzed the chemical composition of 91 iron artifacts dating back to around 3,800 to 3,000 years ago using X-ray fluorescence, a method that does not harm the artifacts. Nickel was detected in 13 of the artifacts. Since nickel is an important indicator of meteoritic iron, it is believed that these artifacts may have been produced using iron obtained from meteorites. Notably, all 13 artifacts suspected to contain meteoritic iron were found to be elaborate rings. Some of these rings, which also featured other metals like gold or silver, had sections that could have been used as signet rings. The researchers suggested that these findings may indicate that rings made from meteorites were used as symbols of power and status among the Minos and Miken palace elites.