Traces of a Meteorite Impact in Traces of a Meteorite Impact in “Montouto” Mountain“Montouto” Mountain

Hypothesis on the formation of Crater “Montserrat” and on their

Neolithic Vestiges.

Facts about the crater:Facts about the crater: Located 900 m of altitude, among Fontefría and Franqueira, close to the peak of the

Montouto. It is a circular structure with 110 m of diameter (a hectare of land) with a central ring.

Topographically, it is a simple crater.Topographically, it is a simple crater.

The topography source is the NASA World Wind.The topography source is the NASA World Wind.

Discarded hypothesisDiscarded hypothesis• The human origin is discarded

because there is not dated man-made structure like this since 3.600 years B.C. (period of transition of the Bronze age into the Iron Age, as we can see in the remaining neolithic vestiges that are in the inside, near of the edge, of the crater, not even in the neolithic exploited mines)

• The origin glacier is discarded. Although many circular structures in high mountain have been usually formed in glaciers periods (the last one 10.000 years ago). The proof is the absence of any kind of glacier stones and natural sources of water in the land.

• Their volcanic origin is also discarded because the geology of the area: It is located in a granitic environment. The hole montain seems a batholith

Facts about Meteorite ImpactFacts about Meteorite Impact The crater was born by an explosion. Let's have a look to the macroscopic proofs.

Data 1: Data 1: Formation of Rock fracturing, on the perimeter of the crater, that Formation of Rock fracturing, on the perimeter of the crater, that are tangential to shock wave.are tangential to shock wave.

Data 2: Data 2: More little tangential Rock fracturing on the perimeter of the More little tangential Rock fracturing on the perimeter of the

crater as effects of the explosion.crater as effects of the explosion.

Facts about a Meteorite ImpactFacts about a Meteorite Impact

Sedimentary land in the center Sedimentary land in the center of the Impact that forms a of the Impact that forms a lagoon in rainy timelagoon in rainy time

Sedimentary land in the center Sedimentary land in the center of the Impact that forms a of the Impact that forms a lagoon in rainy timelagoon in rainy time

Stratigraphic changesStratigraphic changesStratigraphic changesStratigraphic changesHigh density of rock High density of rock fragments (ejecta) as a fragments (ejecta) as a result of the impact, result of the impact, around the crater and around the crater and absence of ejecta inside absence of ejecta inside the crater.the crater.

High density of rock High density of rock fragments (ejecta) as a fragments (ejecta) as a result of the impact, result of the impact, around the crater and around the crater and absence of ejecta inside absence of ejecta inside the crater.the crater.

Analytic Studies.Analytic Studies.

• The adjacent perimeter was inspected until a distance similar to the diameter of the crater. The objective was to locate proofs of the formation of an impact crater thanks to "Shatter cones", that are distinctive conical fracturing patterns in the target rocks generated by the shock waves, or “Melt rocks", that is: new rocks formed as a result from shock melting and from frictional melting in strong dynamic metamorphism, as well as any other sign characteristic of this process. Starting from all rocks collected just four samples were analyzed for further confirmation.

• The granite (and this granite is one of a very thick grain. Fact that it is also reflected in the geologic map of the area) is a no plastic material, so it is very difficult to find "shatter cones", and this work needs an experienced geologist.

• The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and by Atomic absorption

Analytic Studies IIAnalytic Studies II

• The first sample was an ejecta. It was a blackish color and planar rock with a likely plane exfoliation. it had vesicles all around. This stone turned out to be QUARTZ, almost pure. The crystalline phase is also present in a majority way and almost the whole quartz is crystallized, although not in a visible way to the human eye. The color could be made because an exhibition to very high temperatures or even because a radiation.

•The second sample was extracted of a vein and its composition and spectrum is that of an anfibol. It is a Basalt. In spite of having a 40 to 45% of SiO2 only a 3 to 4% is in crystalline phase. Its presence between granite matrix seems to have a melt impact origin rather than an endogenous cause.

• The third sample was grayer or browner. This stone has a really very high silica mixing proportion and it is a Rhyolite (a rock that is formed for abrupt cooling of the lava in the mouth of the volcanos). The analyses of this stone revealed high presence of Iridium and Platinum. The presence of this combination and in that proportions (40 ppm) strongly supports the impact

of an asteroid.

• The first sample was an ejecta. It was a blackish color and planar rock with a likely plane exfoliation. it had vesicles all around. This stone turned out to be QUARTZ, almost pure. The crystalline phase is also present in a majority way and almost the whole quartz is crystallized, although not in a visible way to the human eye. The color could be made because an exhibition to very high temperatures or even because a radiation.

•The second sample was extracted of a vein and its composition and spectrum is that of an anfibol. It is a Basalt. In spite of having a 40 to 45% of SiO2 only a 3 to 4% is in crystalline phase. Its presence between granite matrix seems to have a melt impact origin rather than an endogenous cause.

• The third sample was grayer or browner. This stone has a really very high silica mixing proportion and it is a Rhyolite (a rock that is formed for abrupt cooling of the lava in the mouth of the volcanos). The analyses of this stone revealed high presence of Iridium and Platinum. The presence of this combination and in that proportions (40 ppm) strongly supports the impact

of an asteroid.

Analytic Studies IIIAnalytic Studies III

Chronologies dating of the ImpactChronologies dating of the Impact

Only a geologic study could provides a reliable chronologies dating. An eventual and hypothetical approach to a real datation can be done based on the well-known structure.

In the internal edge of the crater we have three neolithic sepulchres of at least 3.600 years B.C. (then the impact was before that date) and we have that close to the summit it appears a big granitic block that, presumably, because the altitude where it is, it has been suffering erosion since the genesis of the crater.

It is also known that the mean rate of erosion of the granite is about 1cm/1000 years.

So, measuring the mean waste between the fractures formed by the shock wave we can deduce an interval of time that coincides with one period of among 5.000 to 10.000 years.

Hypothesis on the formation of their Hypothesis on the formation of their Neolithic VestigesNeolithic Vestiges

Three funeral cameras (tholos tombs) appear in the internal border of the crater located between the W and the S dominating a portion of 90º of the crater. The biggest one is on the West side.

Three funeral cameras (tholos tombs) appear in the internal border of the crater located between the W and the S dominating a portion of 90º of the crater. The biggest one is on the West side.

Hypothesis on the formation of their Hypothesis on the formation of their Neolithic Vestiges Neolithic Vestiges (Google Earth)(Google Earth)

Hypothesis on the formation of their Hypothesis on the formation of their Neolithic Vestiges IINeolithic Vestiges II

The tombs are located in the area of natural access to the crater. That area is the place where there is less ejecta density. It seems that the stones or ejecta that were around that area were used in the construction of the funeral cameras. Probably they used the ejecta stones as bricks to build the tholos tombs. Why to make bricks? It is easier to take ejecta stones.

This could be a religious or spiritual place. If the calculation of the impact dating is correct they would been witness of the impact (an explosion like the Bomb of Hirosima). Then probably they would found the Iron mineral of the Meteorite (only an iron meteorite should generated this impact) and used this mineral in the construction of weapons (remember that is the time of the change between the Bronze Age and the Iron age). The best way to verify this hypothesis is to see content in nickel of the iron of the weapons

that could be buried in the Tholos tombs.