H5–6 chondrite
Gao, Mali (22°5’50"N, 2°32’35"W)
Dimensions, specimen (height x length x depth): 4 x 4 ½ x 2 ¾ in. (10.2 x 11.4 x 6.9 cm)
Total weight: 2.0 lbs. (914.2 g)
Provenance: Geoffrey Notkin / Aerolite Meteorites Inc.

A nomad searching for historical artifacts in the deserts of northern Mali came across a single fusion-crusted stone meteorite in 2013. A subsequent search yielded many additional stones totaling about 85 kilograms in weight in a small strewnfield approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. An H chondrite, Dar el Kahal is rich in nickel-iron and is also a breccia —essentially a rock made up of fragments of other rocks. Brecciated meteorites are an important tool in studying the history and formation of our solar system. Breccias, by their very nature, indicate geological (or asteroidal) processes, as they are comprised of previously broken rocks from different sources that have cemented together to create a new matrix. The formation of brecciated meteorites indicate activity —asteroidal collisions, for example, elsewhere in the solar system. Dar el Kahal also displays a grayish-black fusion crust and abundant regmaglypts. While thumbprinting is often observed in irons, well-formed regmaglypts such as those seen here, are fairly rare in stone meteorites. This specimen measures 4 x 4 ½ x 2 ¾ in. (height x width x depth) and weighs 2 pounds.