News Archaeology

Ancient Greek rings may have been forged with iron from meteorites

Chemical analysis of Bronze Age objects suggests the precious metal was used in some bling

Three ancient rings are seen on a black background. The one in the middle is just the part that goes around the finger, while the other two have flat engraved ovals. Each have a half showing what the rings would have looked like originally.

These are three of the ancient Greek rings that researchers think were made using iron from meteorites and other precious metals. The ring on the left is from Phaistos, a Minoan archaeological site on Crete, and the others are from Bronze Age tombs at Mycenae in southern Greece. The middle ring also once bore a large flat piece of engraved metal.

M. Gounelle, E. Mantzourani/J. Archaeological Science, 2026

By Tom Metcalfe

Bronze Age Greek nobles may have sported space bling in their rings.