When Hollywood cranks out dismal and dumb plots it is such as shame. All they have to do is read some history to find out that magical and wondrous things truly do exist. Analysis reveals it is from the Chinga meteorite, as “it is the rarest type of meteorites you can find.”
The statue itself measures about 24 centimetres (9.4 in) and weighs 10 kilograms (22 lb).
The undated photo provided by University of Stuttgart shows an ancient Buddhist statue that a Nazi expedition brought back from Tibet shortly before World War II. The statue was carved from a meteorite which crashed on Earth thousands of years ago. What sounds like an Indiana Jones movie plot appears to have actually taken place, according to European researchers publishing in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science this month. Elmar Buchner of the University of Stuttgart, said Thursday Sept 27 2012 that the statue was brought to Germany by the Schaefer expedition. The Nazi-backed venture set out for Tibet in 1938 in part to trace the origins of the Aryan race _ a cornerstone of the Nazis’ racist ideology. The existence of the statue _ known as “iron man” _ was only revealed in 2007 when its owner died and it came up for auction, Buchner told The Associated Press. Image AP Photo/University of Stuttgart, Elmar Buchner
Ancient statue discovered by Nazis is made from meteorite
By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service | 27 September 2012
An ancient statue that was recovered by a Nazi expedition in the 1930s was originally carved from a highly valuable meteorite.
Researchers say the 1,000-year-old object with a swastika on its stomach is made from a rare form of iron with a high content of nickel.
They believe it is part of the Chinga meteorite, which crashed about 15,000 years ago.
The findings appear in the Journal, Meteoritics and Planetary Science.
The 24cm (9-inch) tall statue is 10kg (22lb) and is called the Iron Man.
Origins unknown
The story of this priceless object owes more perhaps to an Indiana Jones film script than sober scientific research.
It was discovered in Tibet in 1938 by German scientist Ernst Schafer. His expedition was supported by the Nazis, in particular by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. Himmler was said to believe the Aryan race originated in Tibet and was keen to recover objects from the area.
