The Extraterrestrial Rings of Bronze Age Greece

Before the Iron Age, humans fashioned tools and jewelry from meteorite iron, rather than extracting iron from ore. A new study in the Journal of Archaeological Science has uncovered meteorite jewelry trends from Bronze Age Greece by analyzing the nickel content in 91 artifacts from 33 sites. The researchers identified 13 rings with elevated nickel levels, nine of which had definitive extraterrestrial origins.

These meteorite rings were often adorned with gold and silver, and were found in Minoan and Mycenaean tombs alongside other valuable items. The rich construction and luxurious trinkets suggest they were status symbols for the elite. The team also believes the meteorite metal may have stopped over in Egypt before reaching Greece, as finding meteorites in Greece is challenging.

The use of nickel-bearing iron declined around the Late Bronze Age collapse, possibly due to economic, social, and political changes, or because the meteorite ring trend simply faded away, like any fashion.