Cape York Meteorite Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Cape York Meteorite is one of the largest meteorites in the world. It was the only source of iron for the Inuit in Greenland for centuries. Broken into three main pieces, the largest of which weighs 34 tons, it is now in the American Museum of Natural History. The first rumors of its existence reached scientific circles in 1818. Five expeditions between 1818 and 1883 failed to find the source of the iron. Robert Peary enlisted the help of a local guide who brought him to Saviksoah Island off northern Greenland’s Cape York in 1894. The meteorite was in three chunks, known to the Inuit as Ahnighito (the Tent), weighing 31 tons, the Woman (2½ tons), and the Dog (½ ton). The two smaller pieces show evidence of use by native metalworkers. It took Peary three years to manage to load the pieces onto ships and required the building of Greenland’s only railway. The meteorite was sold to the American Museum of Natural History for $40,000. The 3.4 m x 2.1 m x 1.7 m Ahnighito is now on display in the Arthur Ross Hall.
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