[meteorite-list] The Scoop on "Kem Kem"

From: Alexander Seidel <gsac_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:54:42 +0200
Message-ID: <20090816115442.141270_at_gmx.net>

The "Lahmada" stones, found in Western Sahara in 1998 and 1999,
were some of the last ones to get official Non-NWA names from
the NomCom, before there was an agreement on the new Northwest
Africa (NWA) designation. In fact, Lahmada 002 - 018 are still
valid official names, while Lahmada 022 - 032 were synonyms for
NWA 035 - 045 respectively.

At least the first Lahmada stones also had distinct geographical
find coordinates submitted to the NomCom. Some of the stones were
later considered to be probably paired.

PS: on a more personal side, I hold the main mass of Lahmada 007,
a pretty fresh stone of 603.7 g (from a TKW of 620.6 g), which
is fun to know it is one of the few last ones to get a Non-NWA
name before the big NWA-rush began. This makes it a bit special
for me, though it is nothing but a common H5 meteorite by class. :-)

Alex
Berlin/Germany


-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:48:52 -0700 (PDT)
> Von: dean bessey <deanbessey at yahoo.com>
> An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] The Scoop on "Kem Kem"

> I just got back from australia and am sorting through thousands and
> thousands of emails so my apologies if this has already been answered.
> There is no recogonized meteorite term as "Kem Kem".
> The term "Kem Kem" dates from the days just before the official creation
> of the term "NWA" roughly 9 or 10 years ago.
> Hundreds of kilos of meteorites were being sold at random in Morocco and
> everybody (Including the met society) was trying to best figure out how to
> catalog and deal with the situation of mixed meteorites from many different
> falls thrown in together and sold in bulk (Not that big a deal nowadays but
> A novel new thing 10 years ago).
> Meteorite dealer Michael casper - now I believe (at least semi) retired,
> got his hands on a large quantity (If I remember correctly 300 kilos but my
> memory might be a little off after 10 years) and he sold them in bulk using
> the name "KEM KEM" and saying that they were found in the Kem Kem desert.
> They were very cheap for meteorites - I believe 30 or 40 cents a gram which
> was I think the first time that any meteorite was ever publicly advertised
> under $1 a gram. At the time everybody probably believed the Moroccans
> story that they were found in the Kem Kem desert but of course nowadays we all
> take location data with a grain of salt at best.
> I was among Caspers buyers and on seeing them it was obvious that it was a
> very mixed group of meteorites and from a very wide variety of falls.
> Soon afterwards the name "NWA" was officially put in place and anything
> classified from Caspers "Kem Kem" hoard (Including NWA001) was given a NWA
> name.
> If you see anything labelled Kem Kem it will almost surely be from caspers
> one time 300 Kilo hoard that just pre dated NWA. Nobody else has ever used
> that name as the introduction of NWA shortly afterwards cancelled peoples
> need to try and make up names to describe their meteorites.
> Almost certainly the location data of caspers 300 kilo hoard is just as
> iffy as location data that you get nowadays so wither they were actually
> found in Kem kem or not is really a moot point as nobody really cares about
> such details nowadays. But your Kem Kem stones can be traced to a particular
> buy from the early days and has that little extra bit of history to them.
> They were a particularly nice group of meteorites also and better than any
> 300 kilo mixed hoard that you are likely to find offered in morocco nowadays.
> Sincerely
> DEAN
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 16 Aug 2009 07:54:42 AM PDT