There is evidence that the early Inuits of Greenland tried their hand at mining meteorites that fell in the Cape York area, while the Descubridora meteorite discovered in present day Mexico had a copper chisel lodged in a crevice, suggesting that the area had its own share of intrepid meteor-miners. The mining of meteorites is not merely a convention of comic books, but an actual practice that stretches back thousands of years. While the Infinity Stones harken to our earliest myths, WakandaвЂ™s coveted vibranium speaks to our history. Of course, this is yet another tradition echoed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe вЂ“ Black PantherвЂ™s fictional nation of Wakanda has an industry that revolves around its abundance of вЂvibraniumвЂ™, a rare and powerful metal harvested from a massive meteor.

According to the writings of religious historian George F Moore, stones inherited a role of religious significance at a very early point in human history. As such, the true question is not how it is that these legendary stones are so pervasive throughout the world, but rather why they are so pervasive. Though itвЂ™s hard to say whether these legendary precursors had any influence upon the authors of todayвЂ™s comic books, their wide geographical span speaks to the fact that mystical stones do not belong to any one particular culture, but hail from a deeper part of our collective human consciousness. The Romans even claimed to be in possession of such artifacts themselves, submerging a special stone known as the lapis manalis in water with the hopes of bringing rain in a ritual known as aquaelicium.

The stones sought out by the superheroes of today are known for their power to bend the laws of nature, and are therefore perhaps more akin to the likes of the Japanese kanju and manju, fabled jewels that would grant the owner control over the tides, or the gems of Mayan myth that harnessed the power of the elements. But thatвЂ™s just scratching the surface of the quarry.

Infinity stones powers