Iron from the sky: the potential influence of meteorites on ancient Egyptian culture.
View Iron from the sky: the potential influence of meteorites on ancient Egyptian culture.
Presenter: Diane Johnson
Published: July 2013
Age: 14-19 and upwards
Views: 1086 views
Tags: meteorites
Type: Lectures
Source/institution: Royal Society
Watch now
Ancient Egyptian belief was frequently derived from observations of the natural world, where the gods were considered to control the forces of nature; and as a society, ancient Egyptians placed great value upon order and balance. So how would the appearance of a fireball bringing meteorite iron to the ground be interpreted, and what was the perception of this iron as such a rare material? This lecture will explore the theory that meteorites may have influenced many aspects of ancient Egyptian culture with evidence in the form of artefacts, ancient texts and architecture.