352 
Aztecs were quite correct ; 
had made their implements had come to them 
from the unknown regions of space, and was, in 
fact, of meteoritic origin. 
Others, including Eskimos, certain Indian 
tribes, and the inhabitants of Yakutsk, in Eastern 
Siberia, used weapons and implements of meteori- 
tic iron. 
It would be impossible to mention here, even 
briefly, all the numerous meteorites of note which 
have fallen from time to time since the very 
earliest days. We may mention, however, 
in passing, the large meteorite which fell in 
the time of Pindar, 403 B.c., at A2gos Potamos, 
which is recorded in the Parian Chronicle, 
engraved in marble; and the stone at Orchomenos, 
of which Pausanias says that it fell from heaven 
before the siege of Troy, and during the reign of 
King Eteocles. Many falls are also mentioned 
by Pliny. 
Livy alone mentions twenty-one falls 
“ Savik” or man’s knife (actual length, 4 in.) ; the handle is of wood and bone, 
Fic. 2.—Ancient Eskimo knives made from the Melville Bay meteorite found 
by Rear-Admiral R. E. Peary. 
in fifty-one years which: fell during his lifetime. 
Another meteorite of note is the stone in the 
Kaaba, the most sacred jewel of Islam, called 
“The right hand of God on earth,” which was 
probably worshipped formerly at the temple sacred 
to the Moon that used to stand in Mecca. These 
few examples will show how well it was under- 
stood in antiquity that meteorites came from an 
extra-terrestrial source; this is also the reason 
why, in practically all the languages of antiquity, 
iron is called “metal of heaven.” The author be- 
lieves that the very word metal, from the Greek 
verb metallao—to search diligently for other 
things has reference to the diligent search 
which had to be made by the people of antiquity 
for meteoritic iron, being the “other things ”’ 
more coveted by them than their usual raw 
material, namely, stones. 
2462, VOL. 98] 
» 
NATURE 
the iron of which they 
[JANUARY 4, 1917 
If we compare the mention of meteorites in 
ancient and modern literature, it would almost 
seem that meteorites were mofe plentiful in olden 
times; for we must bear in mind that when primi- 
tive man used iron first, he used it most probably 
in the same way in which he used copper 8000 
B.C.—that is, for pins and needles, and such other 
objects in which, for instance, small flakes of iron 
could be inserted in bone handles, like the knives 
and other implements of the Eskimos (Fig. 2). 
Where larger masses were used they were prob- 
ably employed in the same way and form as stone 
axes and adzes with the haft tied on. Better 
chisels and knives were probably not made until 
experience had been gained in the making of 
needles and pins, and after the use of the smith’s 
fire was understood. 
In conclusion we may say that primitive man 
before 1200 B.c. used iron more or less sparingly, 
which iron was obtained from the following 
sporadic sources :— 
(a) Iron meteorites. 
(b) Chance productions by a camp fire, a flash 
of lightning, a forest fire, or through volcanic 
agency. 
(c) Telluric or native iron. 
We thus see that in using the nickelliferous 
meteoritic iron primitive man had the advantage 
of a metal that was not available to modern 
man until 1809, which is the approximate date 
at which nickel steel was first manufactured in 
the modern steel industry. G. F. Zier. 
SURVEY WORK IN THE SINAI 
PENINSULA.’ 
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_ unfossiliferous, may represent something older. 
” one district, however, 
“ Survey Department, Egypt. 
Cun Sinai.” By John Ball, Ph.D., 
and 54 illustrations in the text. 
it includes carbonaceous 
he ge and Geology of West- 
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