• Type: Iron, IAB
• Location: Guangxi Province, China
• Weight: 1.7g
• Size: 0.9 x 1 x 0.7 cm
• Year of discovery: 1958
• Known total weight: 9.5 tonnes
• Surface treatment: none – Raw
• Packaging: Plastic box (5.8 x 3.8 x 1.6 cm)
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Nantan meteorite – China's historical iron meteorite The Nantan meteorite is an important iron meteorite, whose fall was likely recorded in 1516 in China's Guangxi province. Despite this historical sighting, it remained unnoticed for a long time and was only officially discovered in 1958. It belongs to the IAB group of iron meteorites, meaning it contains a high amount of iron, nickel, and other trace elements. Due to their high iron content, Nantan meteorites are susceptible to corrosion, a characteristic that makes their long-term preservation difficult. History and discovery Although it fell in the 16th century, the meteorite was not collected until the 20th century. The reasons were linked to local superstitions and technical limitations: local inhabitants considered meteorites sacred objects and often left them untouched. Fragment size and distribution During the fall, the meteorite fragmented into thousands of pieces scattered over an area approximately 28 kilometers long. The size of individual fragments varied from tiny particles of 10 grams to enormous blocks weighing around 2,000 kilograms. The total mass of recovered fragments is estimated to be around 9.5 tons.