Th? ??scin?tin? st??? ?? th? ??i?ins ?? ? c?m??n?nt in T?t?nkh?m?n’s sc???? ????ch h?s ???n ???th???? this w??k. It h?s ???n ?st??lish?? th?t s?m? ?? th? m?t??i?l ???n? in th?t ????ch w?s ??s?lt ?? ? ?h?n?m?n?l ?v?nt th?t ?cc????? 28 milli?n ????s ???.
Th? c?ns????nc? ?? ?n inc?m???h?nsi?l? ?nci?nt c?m?t th?t h?? c?m? h??tlin? th????h th? c?sm?s t?w???s th? E??th c???t?? ? c?m??n?nt which w?s s??s????ntl? ?s?? ?s th? c?nt???i?c? ?? Kin? T?t’s ????ch. B?t th??? h?s ???n s?m? ????t? ?s t? h?w ?x?ctl? this ?v?nt c???t?? th? ?l?ss. N?w sci?ntists ???m A?st??li? ?n? A?st?i? think th?? h?v? th? ?vi??nc? th?t ???vi??s ?n ?n? t? th? ????m?nt.
Th? ?in?in?s ?t th? t?m? ?? T?t?nkh?m?n w??? n?m????s ?n? ? sm?ll ??ti??ct s?ch ?s ? ????ch mi?ht ?? ?v??-sh???w?? ?? th? w?i?hti?? it?ms. B?t ??t?ntim?s ?n?ss?min? it?ms h?v? ? ?????? st??? th?n is ?t ?i?st ?vi??nt. This im???ssiv?l? ???s??v?? ????ch h?s s?ch ? ???? hist??? it c??l? n?t ?? im??in?? ?n? it c?m? t? li?ht ?nl? th????h th?????h ??s???ch ???m m?lti?l? ?isci?lin?s. Th? ????ch c?nt?ins ? st?ikin? ??ll?w-???wn sc???? c?m??s?? ?? ? ??ll?w silic? ?l?ss st?n? ???c???? ???m th? s?n? ?? th? S?h??? ?n? th?n sh???? ?n? ??lish?? ?? s?m? ?nci?nt E???ti?n ??tis?n. It is this sc???? th?t h?s ???h??s th? m?st int???stin? hist??? ?? ?ll.
T?t?nkh?m?n’s B???ch H?l?s Evi??nc? ?? Anci?nt C?m?t St?ikin? E??th
Ch?mic?l ?n?l?sis ??v??l?? th?t th? silic? ?l?ss ???m this ??s??t w?s ??i?in?ll? ???m?? 28 milli?n ????s ???, wh?n ? c?m?t ?nt???? th? ???th’s ?tm?s?h??? ???v? E???t. Th? s?n? ??n??th it w?s h??t?? t? ? t?m????t??? ?? ????t 2,000 ??????s C?lsi?s ?n? ??s?lt?? in th? ???m?ti?n ?? ? h??? ?m??nt ?? th? ??ll?w silic? ?l?ss, which li?s sc?tt???? ?v?? ? 6,000-s????? kil?m?t?? ???? in th? S?h??? D?s??t.
In 2017, this silic? ?l?ss w?s ?n? ?? th? cl??s th?t l?? P????ss?? J?n K??m??s ?? th? Univ??sit? ?? J?h?nn?s????, S??th A??ic?, ?n? c?ll?????s t? ? ??m??k??l? ?isc?v???. Th? ?th?? k?? ?in? w?s ? sm?ll ?l?ck ?i?m?n?-????in? ????l?, which th? ??s???ch??s n?m?? ‘H???ti?’, th?t h?? ???n ???n? ?? ?n E???ti?n ???l??ist s?v???l ????s ???li??. This ??v? th? cl??s n????? t? ??t?ct th? c?t?cl?smic ?v?nt ?n? th? ??s?ltin? c?m??siti?n ?? th? ??s??t.
Th? ??t?cti?n ?? tin? ?i?m?n?s within th? st?n? which ??? th? ??s?lt ?? ?xt??m? ???ss??? ?s??ll? ???? within th? ???th’s c??st sh?w?? it t? ?? ??m??k??l?. This ????l? w?s ???n? ?n th? s????c? ?n? s? th? ?i?m?n?s ???m?? w??? th? ??s?lt ?? ? m?ssiv? sh?ck – ?n im??ct ?? s?m? kin?. Th? st??? t??m’s c?ncl?si?ns w??? th?t th? ????l? ?????s?nt?? th? v??? ?i?st kn?wn s??cim?n ?? ? c?m?t n?cl??s (??th?? th?n ?n ???in??? m?t???it?) ?n? ???vi??? th? ?i?st cl??? ????? ?? ? c?m?t st?ikin? E??th milli?ns ?? ????s ???.
H?w?v??, th??? w?s s?m? ????t? ?s t? th? s??ci?ics ?? h?w this c?t?cl?smic ?v?nt c???t?? th? ?l?ss. Th??? w??? still ???sti?ns ?s t? wh?th?? th? ?v?nt w?s ?n ?ct??l c?m?t st?ik? ?? ? n??? miss.
In ? ???ss ??l??s? ?? C??tin Univ??sit?, D? C?v?si?, ???m th? S??c? Sci?nc? ?n? T?chn?l??? C?nt?? in C??tin’s Sch??l ?? E??th ?n? Pl?n?t??? Sci?nc?s, s?i?, “It h?s ???n ? t??ic ?? ?n??in? ????t? ?s t? wh?th?? th? ?l?ss ???m?? ???in? m?t???it? im??ct, ?? ???in? ?n ?i????st, which h????ns wh?n ?st???i?s c?ll?? N??? E??th O?j?cts ?x?l??? ?n? ????sit ?n???? in th? E??th’s ?tm?s?h???.”
Th? ??s???ch t??m ??li?v?s n?w ?vi??nc? ???n? in th?i? ??s???ch, ???lish?? in th? G??l??? j???n?l, ?ismiss?s th? ?i????st ?????s?l c?m?l?t?l?. Th? st??? st?t?s th?t ?lth???h ??th ?n ?i????st ?? ? c?m?t im??ct c??l? m?lt th? ??s??t s?n?, th?? ???n? th? ?l?ss c?nt?in?? ? ???? min???l c?ll?? ??i?it?, ?n? this th?? s?? c??l? ?nl? ?? sh?ck?? int? ?xist?nc? ?? th? ??w?? ?? ?n im??ct, which is milli?ns ?? tіm?s st??n??? th?n ?n ?i????st. D? C?v?si? st?t?s:
Liv? Sci?nc? ?????ts th? st??? ?s st?tin?, “?i????sts c???t? sh?ck w?v?s ?? in th? ?i? th?t c?n ?? th??s?n?s ?? ??sc?ls (? ?nit ?? ???ss???), ?st???i? im??cts c??s? sh?ck w?v?s ?? ?illi?ns ?? ??sc?ls ?n th? ????n?.”
C?m?t H?l?-B??? t?k?n in th? vicinit? ?? P?zin in Ist?i?/C???ti? (CC BY SA 2.0)
C?m?t m?t??i?l h?? n?v?? ???n ???n? ?n E??th ?????? ?xc??t ?s mic??sc??ic siz?? ??st ???ticl?s in th? ????? ?tm?s?h??? ?n? in Ant??ctic ic?. S??c? ???nci?s h?v? s??nt ?illi?ns t? s?c??? th? sm?ll?st ?m??nts ?? ??istin? c?m?t m?tt?? ?n? ??in? it ??ck t? E??th, ??t K??m??s ?n? h?? t??m h?v? ? n?w ??????ch ??? st???in? this m?t??i?l with??t h?vin? t? ?? t? s??c? t? ??t it.
B?t wh?t is th? im???t?nc? ?? this w??k?
“C?m?ts c?nt?in th? v??? s?c??ts t? ?nl?ckin? th? ???m?ti?n ?? ??? s?l?? s?st?m ?n? this ?isc?v??? ?iv?s ?s ?n ?n???c???nt?? ?????t?nit? t? st??? c?m?t m?t??i?l ?i?st h?n?,” s?i? P????ss?? D?vi? Bl?ck ?? Wits Univ??sit?, ? k?? ??s???ch?? ?n th? K??m?? t??m.