METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION OF MEDIEVAL IRON KNIVES FROM COPPERGATE, FISHERGATE AND BEDERN, YORK

Author(s): D Starley

Metallographic examination was carried out on samples from seven knives dated between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. All the knives were of composite construction, combining steel with ferritic and/or phosphoric iron, using a wide range of construction techniques. The blades had been skilfully heat-treated to provide a hardened edge. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) based microanalysis of the iron and its inclusions revealed significant differences in composition, both between knives and between components of the knives. The compositional data were interpreted as evidence for specialist production of a range of ferrous alloys at this date. They also indicate the city's participation in a widespread trade network which supplied either the raw materials or completed blades.

Report Number:
17/1999
Series:
AML Reports (New Series)
Pages:
26
Keywords:
Iron Metal Working-Fe

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