Darwin Glass

Over 800,000 years ago, an airburst meteorite over Tasmania lit up the sky. In its wake, a hole in the Earth formed now known as Darwin Crater. The intense force and heat of the explosion shot debris into the sky, where it melted and cooled during flight into a rough natural glass called a tektite. These tektites were launched over 150 square miles and were eventually collected and traded by early human societies.

This specimen is a piece of Darwin glass, a tektite from Tasmania. Valued since its discovery in prehistory, Darwin glass can be found as far away as mainland Australia, the result of early trade networks. Pieces range in size from 1" to 2". Please be careful when handling the material as it is rough glass.