Re:Humans Dominated Earth Earlier Than Previously Thought
by greglindahl on Saturday August 31, 2019 @04:03AM
(#20845159)
Meteoric steel isn't just iron, that's why it's interesting. And why it survives, compared to very early iron made before people learned how to turn it into steel.
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Re:Humans Dominated Earth Earlier Than Previously Thought
by dredmorbius on Saturday August 31, 2019 @10:56AM
(#20846625)
NB: Meteoric ferrous metals are almost universally iron or iron-nickel, not steel (iron-carbon). I find few or no hits outside the gaming world for "meteoric steel".
Are you referring to steel found indigenously within meteor fragments, steel forged from meteoric iron, or was this just a misspeaking?
Re:Humans Dominated Earth Earlier Than Previously Thought
by greglindahl on Saturday August 31, 2019 @12:46PM
(#20847380)
Sorry, I was misremembering stories about things like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun%27s_meteoric_iron_... -- the point being that as an iron alloy (iron-nickel not steel) it doesn't rust away quickly in graves like early human-smelted iron does.
Re:Humans Dominated Earth Earlier Than Previously Thought
by dredmorbius on Saturday August 31, 2019 @01:35PM
(#20847661)
Ah, thanks.
Yes, there are some instances of meteoric iron being used.
I'd thought there were archeological finds of pallasite as well, though may have been confusing those with the Fukang meteorite. Gorgeous material, though.