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Meteorite Impact Desert Glass
About the Item
Libyan Desert Glass
Circa 29 Million y/o
Height: 9.5 cm
A beautiful, tactile piece of yellow glass, found between the high crested dunes of the Libyan Desert. Libyan Desert Glass (LDG) long remained a mystery to the scientific community, with some researchers speculating that these strange rocks had fallen from the Moon. In fact, these stones were formed by the explosive impact of an extraterrestrial body colliding with the Earth, producing enough energy to heat the surrounding desert sand to over 1600 degrees celsius, higher than the temperature of the hottest lava on the planet, sufficient for it to liquify and reform as what is known as a ‘tektite’ - from the Greek ‘tektos’, meaning ‘melted.’ As a result of these extraordinary temperatures, LDG specimens represent the purest silica glass to be found anywhere on Earth, owing their pebble shape and smooth, polished surface to the action of the sand blown in the arid desert winds.
Libyan Desert Glass was first recorded scientifically in 1932, but had been known and valued by locals for millenia. Much like obsidian, it was knapped to fashion blades and arrowheads in the Neolithic period. Later on, the glass' beautiful, yellow glimmer was also prized by the Ancient Egyptians, among whom it was known as ‘the rock of God.’ Most famously, Tutankhamun’s pectoral boasts a magnificent scarab carved from LDG, illustrating the enduring charm of this mysterious gemstone, only enriched by what science has since revealed about its origins, and the contrast between the delicate, sculptural forms an example such as this one takes, and the violent burst of energy out of which it was born.
Provenance:
Recovered in the Libyan desert, exact coordinates unknown.
- Dimensions:Height: 5.01 in (12.7 cm)Diameter: 2.51 in (6.35 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 29 Million y/o
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
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Associations
LAPADA - The Association of Arts & Antiques DealersInternational Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers' AssociationsThe British Antique Dealers' Association
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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