Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Meteoric iron used for keris's vs. for Indian weapons

BSMStar · 10th February 2005, 06:53 PM

Sorry about going off in a tangent.... (I think I have created a monster and it's me).

I think it is a "urban legend" that you can find metallic nickel-iron as a "native" surface rock on earth.

Here is a quote and the link:
Niccle (Nickel, my insert) and iron ore were extracted from the mines near Malili and were exported to Jawa, where you can still find a kind of niccle (pamor), which is still named Luwu.

http://indahnesia.com/Indonesia/Sula...hp?code=SULHIS

It appears that mines in the area produced both nickel ores (Nickel laterite) and iron ores... that were mixed to create the Luwu pamor. Gee, maybe my old Cosmochem professor was right? Here are two more links,

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/laterama.html
http://www.inco.ca/about/exploration...e/default.aspx

I am sure the smiths in India would have used iron meteorites (and could have) if they were known and available. There are a number of examples of iron meteorites being used for edged weapons around the world (we have our own Bowie knife). But it seems to me that opportunity and chance play a major role in if and when these kinds weapons are made. In Jawa, it landed in their own backyard. Keep in mind that nickel-iron meteorites only make up about 5% of the witnessed falls that are recovered (and how may have you seen and recovered??), it is an extremely rare event. Rarity, I think, should guide you to the answer to your question.

10th February 2005, 06:53 PM	#27
BSMStar Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO USA Posts: 312	Luwu Ore Sorry about going off in a tangent.... (I think I have created a monster and it's me). I think it is a "urban legend" that you can find metallic nickel-iron as a "native" surface rock on earth. Here is a quote and the link: Niccle (Nickel, my insert) and iron ore were extracted from the mines near Malili and were exported to Jawa, where you can still find a kind of niccle (pamor), which is still named Luwu. http://indahnesia.com/Indonesia/Sula...hp?code=SULHIS It appears that mines in the area produced both nickel ores (Nickel laterite) and iron ores... that were mixed to create the Luwu pamor. Gee, maybe my old Cosmochem professor was right? Here are two more links, http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/laterama.html http://www.inco.ca/about/exploration...e/default.aspx I am sure the smiths in India would have used iron meteorites (and could have) if they were known and available. There are a number of examples of iron meteorites being used for edged weapons around the world (we have our own Bowie knife). But it seems to me that opportunity and chance play a major role in if and when these kinds weapons are made. In Jawa, it landed in their own backyard. Keep in mind that nickel-iron meteorites only make up about 5% of the witnessed falls that are recovered (and how may have you seen and recovered??), it is an extremely rare event. Rarity, I think, should guide you to the answer to your question.