Ohio Hopewell meteorite iron artifacts documented at Marietta and Circleville. Meteoric iron objects found in Ohio Hopewell mounds include double-bitted axes, knives, bear tooth embedded with meteoric iron, and human ulna with meteoric iron banding Published by Olaf Prufer in 'Ohio Hopewell Meteor Iron Objects' from Marietta and Circleville, Ohio The objects could be worked without smelting because meteoric iron is naturally malleable
Archaeologists documented rare meteoric iron artifacts in Ohio Hopewell burial mounds (1-500 AD), including double-bitted axes, knives, and a bear tooth embedded with the cosmic metal. Olaf Prufer's 1961 research 'Prehistoric Hopewell Meteorite Collecting: Context and Implications' (Ohio Journal of Science) shows this material was naturally malleable and could be worked without smelting. A human ulna with meteoric iron banding was also recovered from Ohio sites.
Key Facts
- Meteoric iron objects found in Ohio Hopewell mounds include double-bitted axes, knives, bear tooth embedded with meteoric iron, and human ulna with meteoric iron banding
- Published by Olaf Prufer in 'Ohio Hopewell Meteor Iron Objects' from Marietta and Circleville, Ohio
- The objects could be worked without smelting because meteoric iron is naturally malleable
Related site: Hopewell Culture National Historical Park — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Roundtable Chronicles - Ep. 21 by Institute for Natural Philosophy