Meteorites Stored in the Collections of the National Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina

Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, 2010, 4: 7-22. Received 09 Feb 2011; Accepted 08 Nov 2011.

UDC: 523.681:069.51(497.6)

METEORITES STORED IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA

MEVLIDA OPERTA Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Sarajevo [email protected]

An overview of the basic data on meteorites stored in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo is given in this paper. For each meteorite there is data on the location of the fall, the date of the fall and the sample weight, as well as its place in the classification, synonyms by which it is known, and photos of external forms. Along with meteorites, glass-like materials - tektites - formed by meteorite impacts, are also presented in this work.

Key words: meteorites collections, composition, structure, external forms, tektites.

INTRODUCTION

Meteorites and rocks from the moon are the only objects from outer space which we can observe in laboratories and learn details of their age, composition and structure. Where meteorites come from has long been a mystery. Chladni (1794) first gave an opinion about the origin of meteorites: he considered them to be material thrown from the lunar volcanoes. Today we know that they come from the belt of planetoides, 8 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA small sky bodies (asteroids) within the solar system, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Another unlikely possibility is that meteorites come from the space beyond our solar system. Meteorites have always been objects of fascination and inspiration and still today many scientists, museum workers and collectors are interested in meteorites. Abot thirty thousand meteorites have been observed to this day, both those watched during their falls, and those found without witness to their fall. With a few exceptions, the names of meteorites derive from the names of the places where they fall. Meteorites are divided traditionally, according to their mineralogical composition, into three broad categories: 1) stony meteorites, 2) iron meteorites and 3) stony-iron meteorites. Stony meteorites are mainly composed of silicate minerals; iron meteorites consist of iron and nickel particles whilst stony-iron meteorites contain large amounts of both silicate and iron material. Data on meteorites are deposited in the databank in the Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz. The World’s greatest collections are in the Natural History Museum in Wien, the Institute for Meteorites in Albu- querque, New Mexico, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Natural History Museum in London, and others.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the collections of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, samples of meteorites which played important roles in developing meteoritics as science and which represent a rarity in collections, such as the iron meteorite Hrascina and stony meteorites L'Aigle and Stonarov, are stored. The famous iron meteorite Canyon Diablo, which created the Berringer Crater in Arizona, and the meteorite Sikhote-Alin, which fell onto a surface of 1.6 km2 and from which were collected 217 tons of meteorite material, are also among the samples. In addition, the collections also contain groups of iron meteorites - ataxites and pallasites (e.g. Brenham pallasite found in Kansas in 1882), which are not only extraordinary and rare but also the most attractive esthetically. Besides meteorites which have fallen in different parts of the world, and those from neighbouring countries (Croatia and Serbia), the Museum's collection also contains samples of meteorites found in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which make the collection more valuable. One of the world’s famous meteorites fell at the end of the 19th century at Zavid near Zvornik. The largest sample of this meteorite, which weighs 60 kg, is stored in the National Museum. The other two samples are significantly BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 9 smaller. The meteorite itself belongs to the group of stony meteorites - chondrites. In the opinion of Coal Captain Grimer, the original weight of the biggest piece could have been around 90 kg. Large pieces weighing more than 60 kg in total were brought to the National Museum by the coal platoon on 7 August 1897 and were reassembled. Expert and popular descriptions of these meteorites were given by A. Brezina (1897), F. Berwerth (1902) and M. Ramović (1958, 1963) who detailed the mineral composition of the Zavid meteorite as follows: hipersten, olivin, rare clinopyroxenes, plagioclases, closures of white achondrite, nickel iron, troilit, chromite, native copper, glass and minerals of phosphorus. Another meteorite found in Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to a group of iron meteorites - the octaedrites. The time of the fall is unknown, but in 1952 it was found by Mehmed Ramović in discarded material in front of the building of the asbestos mine Bosansko Petrovo Selo, between Tuzla and Doboj. The material originated in the bed of the Jadrina River. Detailed examinations were done by M. Ramović (1958), who specified the following composition: kamacite, taenite, plessite fields, schreibersite (rhabdit), troilite ovoides, magnetite and needle-shaped iron ore. On the basis of his examination, he concluded that the analyzed meteorite represented almost a transition from octaedrites to hexaedrites, that is to so- -called “rougher” octaedrites (Ogg). For his detailed analyses M. Ramović scaled about 300 g of the sample, and gave one of 3 kg (2936 g) as a present to the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it is kept still. On several occasions (1958, 1963 and 1964) Mehmed Ramović himself also gave detailed data both on this meteorite and on others which also fell into the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Authors whose works are among the most important data on some meteorites and who were shown in this catalogue are presented in the list of literature.

RESULTS Meteorite Collection in the Natural History Department of the National Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina The collection of meteorite specimens stored in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, contains 63 samples. Most of the meteorites were recorded in the inventory books of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, in the early years of the 20th century. During the preparation of temporary exhibitions of meteorites, exhibitions and scientific collections of meteorites in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina were reviewed (Operta 2004). The materials in 10 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA this study included 24 specimens of stony meteorites, 33 specimens of iron meteorites, 5 specimens of stony-iron meteorites, and one specimen of tektite. Besides processing data from literature, a method of analysis, synthesis, classification and statistical methods was used.

List of meteorites in the Collection of the National Museum, Bosnia and Hercegovina The list is arranged by the date of the fall or find and contains the basic data on meteorites stored in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzego- vina in Sarajevo. STONY METEORITES L'AIGLE, Orne, France Fell on April 26th, 1803, at 1 p.m. Type: Brecciated intermediate chondrite Weight: 82.00 g Synonyms: Aigle, Wardau STONAROV, Jihlava, Jihomoravsky, Czech Republic (Fig. 1) Fell on May 22nd, 1808, at 6 a.m. Type: Hypersthene-anortite-achondrite Weight: (two pieces) 61.60 g; 43.50 g Synonyms: Stannern, Iglau

Fig. 1. - Stony meteorite “Stonarov”.

TRENZANO, Brescia, Italy Fell on November 12th, 1856, at 4 p.m. Type: Bronzite chondrite BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 11

Weight: 59.00 g PILLISTFER, Estonia Fell on March 8th, 1863, at 12:30 p.m. Type: Enstatite chondrite Weight: 49.60 g Synonyms: Aukoma, Kurla, Sawiauk BUSCHOF, Zemgale, Latvia Fell on June 2nd, 1863, at 7:30 a.m. Type: Enstatite achondrite Weight: (four pieces) 180.90 g; 177.70 g; 65.9 g; 23.80 g Synonym: Scheikahr-Statten PULTUSK, Warshaw, Poland Fell on January 30th, 1868, at 7 p.m. Type: Grey bronzite chondrite Weight: 25.80 g Synonyms: Warshaw, Varšava, Lerici, Ostrolenka MC KINNEY, Texas, USA Found in 1870. Type: Black hypersthene chondrite Weight: 399.80 g Synonyms: Mackinney, Rockport HOMESTEAD, Iowa County, USA Fell on February 12th, 1875, at 10:15 p.m. Type: Brecciated grey bronzite chondrite Weight: 69.30 g Synonyms: Iowa, Marengo, Sherlock SOKO-BANJA, Serbia Fell on October 13th, 1877, at 2 p.m. Type: Hypersthene ball-like chondrite Weight: 233.60 g. Synonyms: Aleksinac, Banja, Sarbanovac, Sokoba, Blendija, Alexinatz BLUFF, Favette County, Texas, USA Found in 1878. Type: Olivine hypersthene chondrite Weight: 130.60 g Synonyms: Favette County, La Grange MOCS, Transylvania, Romania Fell on February 3rd, 1882, at 4 p.m. Type: White hypersthene chondrite Weight: 17.10 g Synonyms: Mociu, Gyulatelke, Erdelj, Klausenburg, Cluj 12 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

ALFIANELLO, Brescia, Italy Fell on February 16th, 1883, at 3 p.m. Type: Intermediate bronzite chondrite Weight: (two pieces) 26.20 g; 5.40 g Synonyms: Cremona, Brescia KNYAHINYA, Užgorod, Ukraine Fell on June 9th, 1886, at 5 p.m. Type: Brecciated hypersthene chondrite Weight: 33.90 g Synonyms: Kñahyña, Nagy Bereszna KYUSHU, Oshima, Japan Fell on October 1886, at 11:15 p.m. Type: Chondrite Weight: 53.40 g Synonyms: Maeme, Hishikari, Simagoe JELICA, Serbia Fell on December 1st, 1889, at 2:30 p.m. Type: Brecciated achondrite (amphoterite) Weight: 25.90 g Synonyms: Jelica, Čačak FOREST CITY, Iowa, USA Fell on May 2nd, 1890, at 5:15 p.m. Type: Brecciated bronzite chondrite Weight: 26.40 g Synonyms: Forest, Iowa, Winnebago FARMINGTON, Kansas, USA Fell on June 25th, 1890, at 1 p.m. Type: Brecciated hypersthene chondrite Weight: 61.70 g Synonym: Washington LONG ISLAND, Kansas, USA Found in 1891 Type: Hypersthene chondrite Weight: (two pieces) 27.0 g; 16.20 g Synonym: Phillips County BATH, South Dakota, USA. Fell on August 29th, 1892, at 4 p.m. Type: Brecciated chondrite Weight: 175.0 g Synonym: Aberden BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 13

DOG CREEK, Kansas, USA Found in 1893 Type: Chondrite Weight: 43.30 g FISHER, Minnesota, USA. Fell on April 9th, 1894, at 2 p.m. Type: Hypersthene chondrite Weight: 74.60 g Synonyms: Polk County AMBAPUR, Aligarh area, India Fell on May 27th, 1895, at 1 a.m. Type: Spherical chondrite Weight: 28.90 g Synonyms: Wagla, Nagla ZAVID, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Fig. 2) Fell on August 1st, 1897, at 10:30 a.m. Type: Grey hypersthene chondrite with white achondrite Weight: (three pieces) 60.000 g; 2097.50 g; 45.20 g Synonyms: Zvornik, Rožaj, Ravni Zavid, Ravne Njive

Fig. 2. - Stony meteorite “Zavid”.

MURRAY, Kentucky, USA Type: Chondrite Weight: (four pieces) 3.5 g; 3.8 g; 6.0 g; 6.6 g 14 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

IRON METEORITES HRAŠĆINA, Croatia Fell on May 26th, 1751, at 6 p.m. Type: Medium octaedrite Weight: 7.50 g Synonyms: Hraschina, Hrašina, Hrasina, Agram, Zagreb, Zagrebačko željezo BENDEGO, Bahia, Brazil Found in 1784 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: 30.40 g Synonyms: Bahia, Bendigo, Bendego TOLUCA, Mexico Found in 1776 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: 89.30 g Synonyms: Xiquipilco, Jiquipilco, Hiquipilco, Ixtlahuaca WICHITA, Texas, USA. Known before 1836 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 116.70 g; 7.40 g Synonyms: Wichita County, Red River, Austina COAHUILA, Potosi, Mexico. Found in 1837 Type: Hexaedrite Weight: 191.30 g Synonyms: Fort Dunkan, Bonanza Iron MAGURA, Hungary Found in 1840 Type: Heavy-granular octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 29.50 g and 7.50 g FORT PIERRE, Dacota, USA. Found in 1856 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 28.50 g; 8.70 g Synonyms: Forte Pierre, Nebraska NELSON COUNTY, Kentucky, USA Found in 1856 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 43.90 g; 8.00 g BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 15

STAUNTON, Virginia, USA Found in 1858/59 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: 99.90 g Synonyms: Folersville, Stannton ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Missouri, USA Found before 1863 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 9.70 g; 8.90 g Synonym: Missouri OVIFAK, Disco Island, Greenland (Fig. 3) Found in 1870 Type: Ataxite Weight: 170.60 g Synonym: Disco

Fig. 3. - Iron meteorite “Ovifak”.

THUNDA, Queensland, Australia Known since 1881 Type: Medium octaedrite Weight: 32.30 g Synonyms: Diamantina, Windorah HEX RIVER MOUNTAINS, Cape Province, South Africa Found in 1882 Type: Hexaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 51.20 g; 11.30 g 16 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Synonyms: Capland, Kapland GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, USA. Found in 1883 Type: Fine structured octaedrite Weight: 19.70 g Synonym: Walker Township SAO JULIO DE MOREIRA, Portugal Found in 1883 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 469.60 g; 22.70 g Synonym: Ponte de Lima GLORIETTA MOUNTAIN, Mexico (Fig. 4) Found in 1884 Type: Medium structured octaedrite Weight: 117.30 g Synonyms: Canoncito, Santa Fe County, Albuquerque

Fig. 4. - Iron meteorite “Glorietta Mountains”.

MERCEDITAS, Atacama, Chile Found in 1884 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 700.70 g; 7.40 g Synonyms: Chanarlino, Chanaral YOUNDEGIN, Avon, Australia Found in 1884 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 17

Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: 19.00 g Synonyms: Penkarring Rock, Youndagin CARLTON, Texas, USA. Found in 1887 Type: Fine structured octaedrite Weight: 90.50 g Synonym: Corlton-Hamilton MOUNT JOY, Pennsylvania, USA. Found in 1887 Type: Octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 2418.50 g; 4.50 g Synonym: Gettysburg BELLA ROCA, Durango, Mexico. Found in 1888 Type; Fine structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 54.90 g; 14.60 g Synonym: La Bella Rocka PUQUIOS, Atacama, Chile Found in 1888 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: 22.80 g WELLAND, Ontario, Canada Found in 1888 Type: Medium octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 32.10 g; 9.20 g KENTON COUNTY, Kentucky, USA Found in 1889 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 244.20 g; 14.20 g Synonym: Independence CANYON DIABLO, Arizona, USA (Fig. 5) Found in 1891 Type: Rougher structured octaedrite Weight: (three tiles) 91.30 g; 75.0 g; 8.70 g Synonyms: Arizona, Canyon Diablo, Elden, Schertz BALINOO, Murchison River, Australia Found in 1892 Type: Finest octaedrite Weight: (two tiles) 35.40 g; 5.40 g Synonyms: Ballinos, Ballinee, Mt. Erin 18 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

ROEBOURNE, Hamersley Range, Australia Found in 1892 Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight: 66.50 g Synonym: Hamersley

Fig. 5. - Iron meteorite “Canyon Diablo”.

PLYMOUTH, Indiana, USA Found in 1893 Type: Octaedrite) Weight: 140.70 g Synonym: Marshall County COLDWATER, Kansas, USA. Found in 1923 Type: Altered octaedrite Weight: 14.3 g HENBURY, McDonnell Range, Australia Found in 1931 Type: Octaedrite Weight: (three tiles) 23.80 g; 20.90 g; 5.20 g SIKHOTE ALIN, Siberia (Fig. 6) Fell on February 12th, 1947 Type: Octaedrite Weight: 326.50 g OZREN, Bosnia and Herzegovina Found in October 1952 (vicinity of the Bosansko Petrovo Selo) Type: Rougher structured octaedrite BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 19

Weight: 2936.3 g Synonyms: Ozren-Bosna, Bosna, planina Ozren DIMITROVGRAD, Serbia Found in May 18th, 1947. Type: Average structured octaedrite Weight (two pieces) 7.10 g; 5.80 g Synonyms: Pirot, Dimitrovgradsko gvožđe, Caribrod

Fig. 6. - Iron meteorite “Sikhote Alin”.

STONY-IRON METEORITES IMILAC, Atacama, Chile Found in 1822 Type: Pallasite Weight: 11.20 g Synonyms: Atacama, Campo del Pucara, Catamarka, La Rioja MINCY, Missouri, USA Found in 1857 Type: Mesosiderite Weight: 99.50 g Synonyms: Mincy, Tanney County, Forsyth 20 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

VACA MUERTA, Taltal, Atacama, Chile Found in 1861 Type: Mesosiderite Weight: 35.10 g ESTHERVILLE, Iowa, USA Fell on May 10th, 1879, at 5 p.m. Type: Mesosiderite Weight: 5.30 g Synonyms: Jowa, Perry meteor. Iowa, Peery Meteor BRENHAM, Kansas, USA (Fig. 7) Found in 1882 Type: Pallasite Weight: (four tiles) 204.5 g; 27.10 g; 10.30 g; 5.80 g Synonyms: Haviland, Kiowa County

Fig. 7. - Stony-iron meteorite “Brenham”.

TEKTITES Tektite, Trebič, Czech Republic (Fig. 8) Weight: (two pieces) 3.60 g; 0.90 g

CONCLUSION

The Meteorite Collection of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina houses 63 samples of meteorites registered in the inventory BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 2011, 4: 7-22. 21 books during the 20th century. Many of these specimens played an historical role in the development of meteoritics as a science; as well, some are very attractive and very rare, such as ataxites and pallasites. In addition to meteorites, which fell or were discovered in different parts of the world, this collection also holds meteoritic samples from neighboring countries (e.g. Serbia and Croatia) as well as those found in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Detailed analyses of meteorite samples in the Meteorite Collection of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been carried out by M. Ramović.

Fig. 8. - Tektite “Trebič” .

During the preparation of a temporary exhibition on meteorites, the material from both exhibitions and scientific collections of meteorites in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina was re-examined. This review also incorporated the main relevant data on meteorites, such as the location of their fall, the date of the fall and the sample weight, as well as their classification.

REFERENCES

Berwerth, F. (1902): Meteor iz Zavida. - Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja u Bosni i Hercegovini 14: 161-176 + 1 plate. Brezina, A. (1897): Meteoriti iz zvorničkog kotara u Bosni. - Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja u Bosni i Hercegovini 9: 622-628. Chladni E. F. F. (1794): Über den Ursprung der von Pallas gefunden Eisenmassen. – Hartnock, Riga. 22 OPERTA, M.: METEORITES, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Operta, M. (2004): Katalog „Meteoriti“. – Zemaljski muzej BiH, XX Internacio- nalni festival, “Sarajevska zima 2004”, Sarajevo. Ramović, M. (1958): Zabilješke o ispitivanju meteorita s teritorije Jugoslavije. - Geološki glasnik 4: 273-289. Ramović, M. (1963): The development of Meteoritica, Cosmic Mineralogy and Cosmovulcanology. - Geografski pregled, Prirodno-matematički fakultet Sarajevo 7: 17-34. Ramović, M. (1964): Cataloque of Meteorites in the Collections of Yugoslavia. - Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja Bosne i Hercegovine 3-4: 41-48.

МЕТЕОРИТИ У ЗБИРКАМА ЗЕМАЉСКОГ МУЗЕЈА БОСНЕ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНЕ

МЕВЛИДА ОПЕРТА

РЕЗИМЕ

У Земаљском музеју Босне и Херцеговине похрањено је 63 примерака метеорита (24 камена, 33 гвоздена, 5 камено-гвоздених матеорита и 1 тектит), евидентираних у књигама током прошлог столећа. У овој богатој збирци налазе се и примерци који су одиграли историјску улогу у развоју метеоритике; неки од њих су атрактивни и изузетно ретки, попут атаксита и паласита. Изузев метеорита који су пали или су нађени у различитим деловима света, ова збирка садржи и узорке метеорита из суседних земаља (Србија и Хрватска) као и метеорите нађене на територији Босне и Херцеговине. Поред каменог метеорита из Завида код Зворника и гвозденог метеорита нађеног у близини рудника азбеста у Босанском Петровом Селу, у збирци се чувају и чувени гвоздени метеорити Hrašćina, Canon Diablo и Sikhote Alin, камени метеорити L` Aigle и Stonarov, као и многи други. Детаљ- нија испитивања узорака метеорита извршио је М. Рамовић. Током припреме тематске изложбе о метеоритима, извршена је ревизија изложбене и научне збирке метеорита Земаљског музеја Босне и Херцеговине. Том приликом проверени су сви релевантни подаци: место и датум пада, класификација метеорита и синоними. Измерена је тежина сваког примерка и фотографисане су њихове спољашње форме. Такође је ревидован и стакласти материјал из збирки (тектит).