Science · 2026-10-30 · Morning briefing

Oldest known Mars rock, 4.1bn years old, found in Sahara

A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2022 has been identified as the oldest known piece of Mars. The rock, named Teghaza 001, is at least 4.1 billion years old, according to research published in the journal Science. Blasted from Mars by an ancient impact, it provides a rare snapshot of the planet's early history, a period from which few samples exist.

Analysis of minerals within the meteorite confirms that liquid water once percolated through the planet's crust. However, the rock also tells a more complex story. Trapped hydrogen reveals that even 4.1 billion years ago, Mars was already well on its way to losing its atmosphere and transitioning into the cold, dry world it is today. The rock's age was precisely determined using radioactive isotopes found in durable zircon crystals.

Most other meteorites from Mars found on Earth are far younger, covering only the last 600 million years of the planet's 4.5-billion-year existence. The next oldest intact sample is 10 million years younger than Teghaza 001. One reviewer of the study dubbed the meteorite the "Rosetta stone of Mars" for its potential to unlock the history of planetary habitability.

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• Oldest known Mars rock is a ‘Rosetta stone’ for the Red Planet’s watery past
• A Sahara Mars rock may be the oldest known, hints the planet dried early with a granite-like crust

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