08/30/2013

Ancient Beads with an Otherworldly Origin

6:40 minutes

Researchers analyzed ancient Egyptian iron beads fashioned out of meteoric iron and crafted 2,000 years before the Iron Age. Archaeometallurgist Thilo Rehren discusses how the beads were made before the prevalence of iron mining and smelting.

Segment Guests

Thilo Rehren

Thilo Rehren is an achaeometallurgist at University College London, Qatar in Doha, Qatar.

Meet the Producer

About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.