What was the Cape York meteorite?
Cape York is a group of large iron meteorites found in north-western Greenland, used by the Inuit for tools for centuries; its largest piece, Ahnighito, weighs about 31 tonnes.
The Cape York meteorite is one of the largest known iron meteorites. Several large masses, and smaller fragments, have been found near Cape York in the Melville Bay area of north-western Greenland. They are thought to be parts of a single fall, perhaps around 10,000 years ago.
The Inughuit. For centuries, the Inughuit, the northernmost Inuit people of Greenland, used iron from the masses to make tools. They chipped off small pieces with hammerstones and hammered them into blades for knives and harpoon tips. The masses were given names, such as the Woman, the Dog and the Tent, which became Ahnighito.
Exploration. European explorers had heard reports of the iron since the early nineteenth century. In 1894, the American explorer Robert Peary was guided to the masses by Inughuit. In 1895 and 1897, he removed the three largest, including Ahnighito, weighing about 31 tonnes, and shipped them to New York. They were later sold to the American Museum of Natural History, where Ahnighito is displayed today. Peary also took several Inughuit people to New York, where most died of disease, a tragic part of this history.
More finds. Other large masses were found later, including Agpalilik, about 20 tonnes, discovered in 1963 and now in Copenhagen.
Classification. Cape York is a IIIAB medium octahedrite.
Significance. The Cape York meteorite is important both scientifically and culturally, and its story raises questions about the removal of objects of cultural significance from Indigenous communities.