Great balls of fire? Pyrites, meteorites and meteor-wrongs from ancient Iran

Metallic nodules found in the Siyalk II settlement and in Iron Age III tombs in Luristan, Iran, were identified by the excavators as meteorites. However, these identifications must be questioned. The Siyalk nodules could be of telluric origin. The four Luristan specimens are identified as pyrite nodules. It is suggested that such nodules were used for fire-making, although other functions such as a use as sling balls are not to be excluded either.