• Type: Iron, IAB
• Location: Guangxi Province, China
• Weight: 1.7g
• Dimensions: 1.6 x 0.9 x 0.3 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 historic iron meteorite The Nantan meteorite is an important iron meteorite, whose fall was probably recorded in the year 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 type 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: the local inhabitants considered meteorites sacred objects and often left them untouched. Fragment sizes and distribution During its fall, the meteorite fragmented into thousands of pieces scattered over an area approximately 28 kilometers long. The sizes of individual fragments varied from tiny particles of 10 grams to enormous blocks weighing about 2,000 kilograms. The total mass of the recovered fragments is estimated to be around 9.5 tons.