The unrusted blade of a marvelously crafted golden dagger found inside the sarcophagus of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun who died 1332 BC was made from a large meteorite that crashed into Egypt.

Researchers at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Milan Polytechnic and Pisa University said the iron blade had high levels of nickel along with traces of cobalt and phosphorus normally found only in a meteorite.

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They also said the blade's chemical composition matched that of a meteorite found in a plateau at Mersa Matruh, a major seaport in western Egypt 150 miles west of Alexandria. Using X-ray scans, the scientists matched the chemical composition of the blade to the "Kharga Meteorite" re-discovered in 2000.

The dagger, which is 34.2 centimeters in length, is one of the most outstanding items among the trove retrieved from Tutankhamun's tomb located at the Valley of the Kings. The meteorite blade is encased in an intricately decorated golden scabbard embossed with a jackal's head, a floral motif and feather patterns. The dagger's exquisitely embossed gold handle is capped by a crystal pommel.

When discovered in 1925, the blade was quite well-preserved and showed few signs of rusting while buried at the right side of Tutankhamun.

"Our study confirms that ancient Egyptians attributed great value to meteoritic iron for the production of precious objects," said Dr. Daniella Comelli from the Polytechnic of Milan in a study published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.

"Moreover, the high manufacturing quality of Tutankhamun's dagger blade, in comparison with other simple-shaped meteoritic iron artifacts, suggests a significant mastery of iron-working in Tutankhamun's time."

Italian researchers said the use of meteorite metal in a weapon suggests the ancient Egyptians were aware that these "rare chunks of iron fell from the sky already in the 13th century BC, anticipating Western culture by more than two millennia."

Tutankhamun succeeded his father, Akhenaten, when he was only nine years-old. He died from unknown causes when was only 19.

TagsPharaoh Tutankhamun, dagger, Meteorite, Kharga Meteorite