The dagger that was buried with Egyptian King Tutankhamun was made from a meteorite, a study says.
Researchers say the iron used to make the pharaoh’s blade was not from Earth.
“Our finding confirms that excavations of important burials, including that of King Tutankhamun, have uncovered pre-Iron Age artifacts of meteoritic origin,” the study says.
The famous dagger was found in the wrappings of the mummified king in 1925 by archaeologist Howard Carter. He found the blade near the right thigh of the young pharaoh 3 years after the king’s tomb was discovered. The dagger came with a gold sheath that was embroidered with lily patterns on one side, feathers on the other, as well as a jackal’s head.
The Egyptian king died at age 18, the cause of death is still not officially known.
The findings were published in the journal “Meteoritics and Planetary Science.”
