The reason King Tut invented a gold-studded dagger with meteors

Ancient Egyptians made iron daggers from meteorites instead of natural ore because they considered meteors to be sacred phenomena filled with power.

Scientists have long speculated that ancient Egyptians used meteorite metal to make iron objects. The dagger analysis of King Tutankhamun's tomb (reigning from 1332 to 1323 BC) provides evidence to reinforce the hypothesis. The analysis also showed that the Egyptians knew that iron mass originated in space.

According to Ancient Origins, the researchers believe that the ancient Egyptians did not develop ironworking techniques until 500 BC. They found no significant archaeological evidence of blacksmithing in the Nile valley. Even iron-rich products are thrown away in the delta to produce copper. When Tutankhamun died in the 14th century BC, iron was a rarer material than gold.

The gold-studded dagger has an iron forged blade from King Tut's meteorite.(Photo: University of Pisa).

The most common natural iron source on Earth is iron ore, iron-containing rocks that chemically bind to other elements. Iron ore is treated by melting with other materials to obtain low quality iron. This type of iron is then forged with a hammer to remove impurities. The whole process requires a high level of knowledge and a lot of strength and tools.

But iron does not only exist in ore. Scientists found evidence of many prehistoric societies around the world that did not know how to mine iron ore or had a degree of metal smelting, but they still used iron found in meteorites . This type of iron still needs to be manipulated to become a useful tool, usually basic and thin objects such as blades.

Iron daggers are often used in rituals such as the Opening of the Mouth . This is a ceremony at the entrance to the tomb to turn the mummy into an entity capable of resurrection. The iron blade plays an important role in this ceremony because it is associated with meteorites. According to the Egyptian conception, a meteorite is a naturally powerful phenomenon and the use of iron daggers from meteorites can increase the effectiveness of the ritual.