中国研究人员证实，在三星堆遗址出土的铁器残片由天然陨铁制成。这些在7号坑中发现的三块腐蚀残片很可能原是一件斧头或礼器。碳测年显示该文物可追溯至商代晚期。
位于中国西南部四川省的三星堆遗址是古蜀国的遗迹。这些残片的发现将陨铁的使用范围从黄河流域扩展到了长江上游地区。
四川大学与四川省文物考古研究院的联合团队开展了此项研究。研究结果近期发表在《亚洲考古研究》期刊上。
陨铁是一种来自外太空的天然铁镍合金，在冶炼技术出现之前具有重要的礼仪意义。研究人员推测，商代先民将其视为“天赐之物”，并将其打造为礼器或仪仗武器。
该材料的硬度可能还使其在加工同一祭祀坑中发现的青铜器时发挥了作用。
A meteorite found in the Sahara Desert has provided the first direct evidence of a massive protoplanet that orbited the young Sun more than 4.5 billion years ago. The object, comparable in size to the Moon, was destroyed in a collision, leaving fragments that reached Earth. Researchers say the discovery reveals a previously unknown path in early planet formation.
由 AI 报道
Scientists have detected traces of iron-60 in Antarctic ice up to 80,000 years old, showing that the solar system is moving through material from an ancient stellar explosion. The findings come from a study published in Physical Review Letters and point to the Local Interstellar Cloud as the source of the radioactive isotope.
A major exhibition of more than 250 sets of Han dynasty relics, with over 95 per cent shown in Hong Kong for the first time, has opened at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Titled “The Majestic Han: A Golden Age of Vigour and Cultural Integration”, it runs until September 20 with free admission. Development chief Bernadette Linn Hon-ho called it a “sequel” to last year’s Tang dynasty showcase.
由 AI 报道
China has completed a metal 3D printing test in orbit aboard its Qingzhou prototype spacecraft, the Chinese Academy of Sciences said Monday, marking progress in space-based manufacturing. Researchers remotely activated the system from the ground, with the payload meeting its objectives as planned. The technology is seen as key for future missions, enabling astronauts to produce and repair parts in space.
Researchers in South Korea have found stromatolites inside the Hapcheon impact crater, suggesting asteroid strikes created conditions that supported early oxygen-producing life.