Gibeon meteorite display, Windhoek

Dozens of Gibeon iron meteorites mounted on columns in a shopping street in Namibia's capital.

Key facts

Where

Windhoek, Namibia

Kind

Visitor site

Visiting

Open-air site or visitor centre

Gibeon is a huge shower of iron meteorites that fell in prehistoric times over a wide area of southern Namibia. The Nama people used the iron for tools and weapons, and many masses have been found since the 19th century, totalling at least 26 tonnes.

In central Windhoek, a group of more than thirty Gibeon masses is mounted on steel columns in the Post Street Mall as a public sculpture, where anyone can see and touch them. Exporting Gibeon meteorites from Namibia is now forbidden. Gibeon is a IVA iron, and when cut and etched it shows a very fine Widmanstätten pattern, which makes it popular for jewellery and watch faces.

Highlights

• Gibeon more than thirty masses on public display Iron, IVA

Related pages

Opening times, what is on display and access to research collections change over time, so check with the institution before you visit.