Dr Diane Johnson, project officer in the Department of Physical Sciences, was recently invited to lecture at the Royal Society. The lecture was entitled 'Iron from the sky: the potential influence of meteorites on ancient Egyptian culture' it was based upon a combination of her research on meteorites and her personal interest in Egyptology. It explores the theory that meteorites may have influenced many aspects of ancient Egyptian culture as evidenced by artefacts, ancient texts and architecture. A paper on a similar theme is about to be published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.
This research highlights the application of modern technology to ancient materials not only to understand meteorites better but also to help us understand what ancient cultures considered these materials to be and the importance they placed upon them.
Listen to the lecture here. Read an online article preview of the paper.
22 May 2013