A 3,000-year-old stone slab reveals a “hiccup” in the Earth’s magnetic field Sciences
Scientists have determined that three thousand years ago there was a slight deviation in the Earth’s magnetic field. They were able to discover this thanks to a stone tablet from ancient Mesopotamia.
The tablet contains a list of the kings of Mesopotamia. This is indeed valuable information, but it is revealing, according to world scientists University College In London much more so. The stone used contains small particles of iron oxide. This is often visible as rust, the result of the reaction between iron and oxygen.
Scientists can see from these particles how they are attracted by the magnetic field surrounding the Earth. It appears that a slight deviation occurred in the first millennium before the beginning of our era. Researchers talk about one pictureOr a “hiccup” in the magnetic field.
The magnetic field protects the Earth from cosmic radiation and space particles, such as the solar wind. Without the magnetic field, life would not be possible on Earth. This discovery allows scientists to better predict how a magnetic field develops, and what happens when its strength increases or decreases. Changes in the Earth’s magnetic field could explain the demise of civilizations
Studying iron oxide provides many historical insights, says lead researcher Mark Al-Taweel. “Carbon dating is not possible with these types of stones, because they do not contain ‘living’ material. This way we can still find out the age of objects. We also discover the effect of the magnetic field on the Earth at that time.”
Mesopotamia refers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The name comes from ancient Greek Misos PotamosWhich means “the land of Mesopotamia.” It covered the area that is today known as Iraq and parts of Syria and Turkey. Mesopotamia was an extremely fertile region, where many early civilizations developed.
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