The oldest iron items from Egypt are about 5000 years old and are a set of tube-shaped iron beads of meteoritic composition which were made by taking the meteoritic iron, beating it into a sheet and then rolling it up. The metal was never melted as the Widmanstätten structure of the meteorite is still visible.
There is still some disagreement over the origin of the blade in Tutankhamen’s tomb. Whilst the most recent X-ray fluorescence study suggests it is of meteoritic origin, there were previous studies that said the amount of nickel is too low. It is highly likely not of Egyptian manufacture as no other items of similar quality have ever been found from that period. There are a number of other iron blades in the tomb collection, but they are much less well made using technologies seen elsewhere in Egyptian burials.
Instead, it could well be part of a regular trade between Egypt and the Hittite region where iron-working was well advanced. There are 18th Dynasty records from the reign of Akhenaten (Tutankhamen’s father) that iron blades were offered as tribute from Tushratta, King of Mitanni to Amenhotep III (Tutankhamen’s grandfather), so this could be a highly-treasured survivor.
Robert Peary, famous polar explorer and asshole
I think you’re being far too kind!
