?How did scientists discover that Tutankhamun's jewel holds secrets about space
Tutankhamun is one of the most famous kings of ancient Egypt, but did you know that his treasure contains a piece of space? Yes, it's a yellow scarab-shaped jewel that adorns his gorgeous bra. This gem is not from any known gemstone, but rather from Libyan desert glass, which is a very rare material consisting of silicon dioxide like quartz, but with a different crystalline structure.
Libyan desert glass is found only in a limited area of the African desert, on the border between Egypt and Libya. It dates back to 26 million years ago, when a huge unknown space event occurred. It may have been a meteorite impact or a comet exploding in the atmosphere. The important thing is that this event caused a very intense heat wave, reaching 2000 degrees Celsius, capable of melting the quartz-rich sand and turning it into glass. When this molten sand cools, pieces of desert glass are formed, in different colors, including transparent yellow.
This natural glass was known to the ancient inhabitants of the region, who used it to make tools and jewelry. Among them were the Pharaohs, who considered it a precious stone symbolizing the sun and life. Perhaps the most famous Symbolizes the sun and life. Perhaps the most famous use of this glass is in Tutankhamun's chest, which was found by scientist Howard Carter in 1922. Carter thought that the yellow gem was agate, but ten years later, British geographer Patrick Clayton discovered pieces of desert glass in the Libyan desert, and found It matches the properties of the gem in Tutankhamun's treasure.
In 1998, the Italian mineral expert Vincenzo Di Michele confirmed that the yellow gem is actually Libyan desert glass, which means that it holds secrets about space and time. But how did this jewel reach the hands of King Tutankhamun? Was it a gift from a foreign ruler? Or was it spoils from a military campaign? Or was it a coincidence from the caravan route? This is still a mystery that baffles scientists and historians. But what we know for sure is that this jewel is a witness to man’s relationship with the universe and its wonders.
Source: websites