A Germanic ultrahigh carbon steel punch of the Late Roman-Iron Age

Abstract

Chemical and microstructural analysis of Late Roman-Iron Age iron objects from the Germanic site of Heeten in the Eastern Netherlands has led to the identification of an early example of a finished artefact of ultrahigh carbon steel. The results presented here make it necessary to reconsider the established views that extremely high carbon steel technology was of uniquely Near Eastern or Asian origin, and that simple unalloyed iron was the only intended product of the ancient iron bloomery smelting process.