An extraordinary discovery in Australia has shown that not every “treasure” hidden in the ground is made of gold. A man who for years believed he had found a piece of gold discovered that he had a much rarer object in his hands: a meteorite formed before the Earth existed. In May 2015, David Hall was metal-detecting in Maryborough Regional Park, in the Australian state of Victoria, when he received a strong signal. After digging, he pulled out a reddish rock, with a large weight and an unusual surface, believing that a piece of gold was hidden under its crust.

For months, Hall tried to open the rock using a rock saw, a cutter, a drill, acid, and even a hammer, but without success. The object proved to be almost indestructible. Three years later, he decided to take it to the Melbourne Museum, where geologists discovered that it was not gold, but a rare meteorite.

Experts identified on its surface characteristic traces created during the passage through the Earth's atmosphere. The meteorite weighed 17 kilograms and measured 38.5 x 14.5 x 14.5 centimeters. To see its composition, scientists used a diamond saw. The analyses revealed the presence of chondrules – mineral structures dating back to the early stages of the formation of the Solar System. The meteorite was classified as a type H5 chondrite, with a high content of iron and nickel.

According to researchers, the meteorite formed about 4.6 billion years ago, even before the Earth was fully formed. It is thought to have originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and fell to Earth somewhere between 100 and 1,000 years ago. The Maryborough meteorite is only the 17th ever recorded in the state of Victoria, making it much rarer than the gold nuggets for which the area is known. Today, it is part of the Melbourne Museum collection, where it is exhibited as one of the most valuable scientific objects, providing important information about the early history of the Solar System.