Iron is the cheapest, most useful, most important, and the one of the most abundant metals on the earth. When heated up to high temperatures, iron is very malleable, and is used in jewelry and it is used to make many large structures, such as sky-scrapers. Iron is a shiny silver metal that can be found all over the universe, and has been known since the biblical times. Smelted iron artifacts have been dated as far back as 3000 B.C. In India there is a remarkable solid iron pillar that dates back to the year A.D. 400, which is still standing today, even after many harsh weather conditions. Irons' symbol, Fe comes from the Latin word "Ferrum." Ferrum translates to "holy metal." Scholars believe iron was know as the holy metal because it was used to make swords and other weapons during the Crusades.
             The Hittites were the first people ever to learn to use iron as a weapon. The success of the Hittites, many people say is owed to the iron they used to make their weapons. Although the Hittites were the first to use iron as a weapon, they weren't the first people to use iron for building structures. The Chinese were the first to cast iron and use it to build things. The Chinese figured out how to cast iron during the 6th century. The Europeans were the first to wrought iron, which means to be hammered into shape under intense heat. Iron jewelry has been located in Egyptian tombs dating as fat back as 4,000 years ago.
             Iron is very abundant on earth, and it is relatively abundant in the universe. In the universe iron can be found in many types of stars, and in our sun. Iron generally has a very stable nucleus. Although scientists are not completely sure, it is believed that the core of the earth (2150 miles in radius) is composed of mainly iron. There are many different forms of iron, one very common for would be hematite, which is often seen on beaches and banks of streams as black sand.
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