THE MONOLITH

Iron Meteorite
Found: Campo del Cielo, Argentina
iron (92.6 %) and nickel (6.68 %)
2 440 g
16.5 × 9.8 × 5.5 cm

Provenance:
Private collection, Switzerland

This monolith-shaped specimen originates from one of the largest meteorite showers ever documented. It occurred about 6000 years ago over what is now Argentina after a collision between two huge asteroids. The area where the meteorite hit is called Campo del Cielo (Spanish for 'field of the sky'). The velocity of the larger meteorite fragments was so high that more than 20 deep craters were formed. The largest of them is as wide as a football field in diameter.

Parts of the meteorite were documented for the first time by Spanish explorers in 1576. The individual pieces found since 1576 weigh from a few milligrams to an astonishing 30 tonnes.
The example presented here is of the finest quality, showing just minor rusting. The presence and radiance of this meteorite reminds us of the famous black monolith on the moon in '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968).