Men seem to have always taken an interest in meteorites①， but not until the early nineteenth century were these objects considered worth preserving for scientific study.
In the beginning， people believed that because meteorites fell from the heavens， they were either gods themselves or messengers from the gods. Thus the more civilized② of early men carefully kept the meteorites， draping③ them in costly linens and anointing④ them with oil. In many instances， the people built special temples in which the meteorites were to be worshiped. Mediterranean Sea， and in Africa， India， Japan， and Mexico；such worship still persists in some regions.
Although many people held meteorites in reverence⑤， particularly if they were seen to fall， other practical-minded individuals made good use of the durable and easily-worked alloy provided by nature in the nickelir on meteorites. They frequently used this metal to make tools， and often pots and other utensils⑥. Throughout history， meteoritic iron has been used in the manufacture of special swords， daggers， and knives for members of royalty. Attilla and other early conquerors of Europe boasted of“swords from heaven”. As late as the end of the nineteenth century， several swords were made from a Japanese iron meteorite at the command of a member of the Japanese court.
① meteoriten. ［天］陨星；流星［C］
② civilizedadj. 文明的，开化的
③ drapev. 使(布、衣服等)呈褶裥状
④ anointv. (用油或软膏等)涂；擦［(+with)］
⑤ reverencen. 敬爱，崇敬；敬畏［U］［(+for)］
⑥ utensiln. 器皿，用具［C］
星崇拜
人们似乎一直总是对陨星感兴趣，不过，到19世纪初叶，陨石才被认为值得保存，以供科学研究用。
当初人们认为，由于陨星从天而降，它们或本身是神，或是神所派来的使者。于是，早期人类中文明水平较高者便把陨石精心保存下来，用昂贵的亚麻覆盖着，并且涂油使它神圣化。在许多情况下，人们还建起特殊的庙宇，让人们崇拜陨星。在地中海地区，在非洲、印度、日本和墨西哥，对陨星的崇拜很久以前就是一件普遍的事。这种崇拜至今仍存留在某些地区。
虽然许多人对陨星怀有崇敬之意，特别是当他们看到陨星降落的时候。然而另外一些有实际头脑的人，对这耐久又易于熔铸的镍铁质陨石中的天赐合金，却充分加以利用。他们常常用这种金属制造工具，而且多半是制造锅和其他器具。在整个历史上，陨石铁一直用来为王室成员特制剑、匕首和刀。阿提拉和其他早期欧洲征服者，都曾吹嘘过“天赐宝剑”。迟至19世纪末，在日本的一位宫廷成员的命令下，一颗日本的铁质陨石方被用来铸造了好几把剑。
