His burial and reign would have been forgotten if it weren't for an English explorer, but now new light is being shed on the discoveries inside King Tutankhamun's tomb.
Many people focus on the gold and other items buried with the young pharaoh, but a dagger is now in the spotlight, not only because it was owned by the boy king but because of its material.
Scientists believe that the knife was made from metal mined from a meteorite, a new scientific report says.
Ancient Egyptians usually used copper, bronze and gold for their metal work. But by using state-of-the-art testing, scientists found that the blade's materials were likely of "extraterrestrial origin." It also shows the craftsmanship and high quality in the manufacturing of the dagger's blade and creators' ironsmithing abilities in the 14th century, B.C., according to researchers.
Meteorites were considered messages from the gods in ancient times. Prehistoric cultures in North America were known to use iron from space debris in small tools and ceremonial objects as far back as 400 B.C. to A.D. 400, the Washington Post reported.
Other items in Tut's tomb were also attributed to a meteor's fall to earth. Experts in 2006 believed that glass found with the burial objects was formed by heat generated from a meteorite hitting the Earth.
Tut died when he was about 19 years old. There are still debates on how he died. Some believe that his physical condition and illnesses killed him. Some think it could have been a deadly chariot accident. Still others believe that he was murdered.
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