Winona Meteorite Specimen Rare Prototype Winonaite Primitive Achondrite Arizona Meteorite

An authentic specimen of the legendary Winona meteorite, one of the most scientifically important and historically significant American meteorites ever discovered. Found in 1928 near Winona, Arizona, this extraordinary meteorite became the prototype specimen for the rare meteorite class now officially known as the Winonaites — a highly unusual group of primitive achondrites representing a critical transitional stage in asteroid evolution.

Winona is exceptionally important in meteoritics because it serves as the defining reference specimen for all other officially classified Winonaites. These meteorites are believed to represent material from an ancient parent asteroid that underwent thermal metamorphism and partial differentiation, preserving characteristics between primitive chondrites and fully differentiated stony-iron meteorites.

Official Classification

• Name: Winona
• Country: United States
• State: Arizona
• Year Found: 1928
• Classification: Winonaite (Primitive Achondrite)
• Total Known Weight: 24 kg
• Meteorite Group: Winonaite

The meteorite was discovered during archaeological excavations within Sinagua pueblo ruins near Winona, Arizona. The unusual burial context has led to longstanding speculation that ancestral Native inhabitants may have witnessed the meteorite fall and intentionally preserved it as a sacred or culturally significant object.

Scientifically, Winonaites are among the rarest and most fascinating meteorites known because they preserve evidence of:

• Partial asteroid differentiation
• Thermal metamorphism
• Primitive silicate chemistry
• Metal-silicate transitional structure
• Early solar system planetary formation processes

Winona material may display:

• Pyroxene-rich structure
• Olivine and nickel-iron metal
• Brecciated textures
• Primitive achondritic mineralogy
• Metal-silicate transitional features

Because Winona serves as the type specimen for the entire Winonaite class, it occupies an elite category among collectors of:

• Rare meteorites
• Primitive achondrites
• Arizona meteorites
• Scientifically important meteorites
• Museum-quality planetary specimens
• Historic American meteorites

Only a small number of officially classified Winonaites are known worldwide, making authentic Winona material exceptionally desirable among advanced meteorite collectors and institutions.

A remarkable extraterrestrial artifact representing a rare transitional stage in the evolution of ancient asteroids during the earliest history of the solar system.

Note: Micro specimen.

Condition: Please review all photos carefully for overall condition, natural texture, fractures, weathering, cut surfaces, and preparation characteristics, as they are considered part of the description. Meteorites are natural extraterrestrial objects and commonly display structural variation, oxidation, and natural impact-related features.