Iron meteorite, ungrouped ataxite Ryazan, near Kasimov, found 2000. Sculptural fragment. Weighing 581.1 grams and measuring 98 mm x 70 mm x 38 mm. This angular, sculptural fragment, perhaps reminiscent of a bear’s head or a warrior’s helmet, is covered on both sides by curving striations that could have been formed upon impact or by terrestrial weathering, or both. These angular, shard-like characteristics are somewhat reminiscent of Sikhote-Alin shrapnel [SEE LOT 2462] associated with the Siberian crater field. This perhaps lends credence to the theory that Dronino was a crater-forming event, though clear evidence of any such crater remains to be found, and the idea has not been officially accepted by academia.
The Dronino strewnfield is situated close to the Russian town of Kasimov, founded in 1152. In this decidedly rural setting, the archaic pastime of wild mushroom hunting is still practiced. And so it was that the Dronino iron meteorite was accidentally found in the year 2000 by Oleg Gus’Kov, a man in search of earthbound fungi. Extensive work at the site by professional meteorite hunters followed and it was the site of a third season episode (“Dronino”) of TV’s award-winning series Meteorite Men. Due to the number of masses found, and their size and disposition, it has been suggested by expert hunters that Dronino is a buried impact site (soil crater), though no definitive evidence is currently on record. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Aerolite Meteorites.
