The earliest iron artefacts so far found, dated to circa 3200 BC, were made from meteoritic iron. The iron was found as nine small beads which were excavated in 1911 from two burials in Gerzeh, north Egypt, a prehistoric burial site that has produced a great deal of information about very early Egyptian civilisation.

Seven of the beads were found in one grave, four in a necklace that was also strung with lapis lazuli, carnelian, gold and agate, and three at the waist.

The other two beads, discovered in a nearby grave, were found in each hand of the dead body, the grave itself being almost a magpie assemblage of grave goods, including beads made from lapis lazuli, obsidian, gold, carnelian, calcite, chalcedony, steatite, faience, garnet and serpentine, as well as a porphyry bowl, a miniature pink limestone jar, a bird scutiform-shaped palette, an ivory spoon, a flint flake, shells, a jackal canine tooth, 16 stones of carnelian, green jasper, quartz, a lump of red resin and nine pottery vessels.

In both cases, the richness of the grave goods that were buried with the dead person to accompany them into the afterlife tells that they came from rich and powerful families.

From The Perfect Sword.