Ancient Bricks Reveal Magnetic Surge During Mesopotamia's Iron Age
Recent studies on ancient clay bricks reveal a significant surge in Earth's magnetic field thousands of years ago in the Middle East.
Casey Parker
- 2023-12-28
- Updated 04:20 AM ET
(NewsNibs) - Researchers have discovered traces of a sharp increase in the Earth's magnetic field strength, preserved in the ancient clay bricks of Mesopotamia. The signs of this ancient geomagnetic anomaly, now evident in parts of Iraq and neighboring countries, were encoded in bricks dating from the third to the first millennia BCE. Though unlikely to have been detected by the people of the time, this magnetic surge, identified as the "Levantine Iron Age geomagnetic anomaly," has been confirmed through the analysis of bricks stamped with the names of Mesopotamian kings, thereby placing the event between 1050 and 550 BCE.
New Insight into Earth's Magnetic History
Prior to this study, published on December 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, there was sparse archaeomagnetic data for the Mesopotamian region during this period. The lack of such data had previously obscured the true conditions of the Earth's magnetic field and hindered the accurate dating of many ancient monuments. By applying archaeomagnetic analysis, which can be used on ceramics and other heat-affected magnetic materials, scientists have now filled a critical gap in historical magnetic records. This has not only provided new clues about the anomaly but has also lent credibility to the archaeomagnetic dating method, a critical tool for researchers as ceramics are a common find at archaeological sites globally.
Upcoming Steps and Future Research
The research team studied 32 bricks for this analysis, out of which five were marked with the name of Nebuchadnezzar II, correlating them to a period of rapid increase in magnetic field intensity. With such a dataset now available, archaeologists working in the Mesopotamian region can employ these techniques to date undated artifacts accurately, potentially resolving chronological disputes concerning royal timelines. Looking ahead, the objective is to expand the study to encompass more clay bricks from Mesopotamia to refine the curve of Earth's magnetic field intensity across time.
This groundbreaking study not only bridges a significant historical data gap but also enhances our understanding of the geophysical processes of our planet by examining the magnetic imprints retained in ancient artifacts. As research advances, these findings could lead to a clearer chronology of the past civilizations that once thrived in one of the world's earliest urban landscapes.
