3,000-year-old bricks reveal truths about Earth's magnetic field

In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers from University College London in the UK and Wichita State University in the US, an anomaly in Earth's magnetic field was detected approximately 3,000 years ago. 

According to the report by Independent Türkçe, scientists examined the iron oxide ratios in 32 bricks from ancient Mesopotamia in the laboratory and determined that there was a high degree of magnetic intensity in the Middle East between 1050 and 550 BC. 

The iron oxide remnants provided researchers with clues about the direction and strength of Earth's magnetic field when the bricks were first fired. 

By measuring the magnetic properties of the iron oxide grains in these stone blocks, which bear the names of 12 kings, scientists gained information about Earth's magnetic field during the reigns of these kings. 

It was revealed that during the reign of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from 605 to 562 BC, Earth's magnetic field changed significantly within a relatively short period. This provided further evidence for the hypothesis that rapid increases in the intensity of the magnetic field are possible. 

Matthew Howland, one of the co-lead authors of the study, stated: 

Extremely high intensities were seen in the Earth's magnetic field during this period. They even reached levels that did not seem possible to occur within such a short time.

On the other hand, it was noted that the reason for the change in the magnetic field during the period in question is not yet understood. It was stated that its effects spread from Bulgaria to China and the Azores, but that findings related to the anomaly in the Middle East had not been encountered much until now.

Philip McCausland of Western University in Canada, who was not involved in the study, said, "What was actually investigated here was the magnetic memory of the material at hand."