METALLURGICAL ANALYSES OF FOURTEEN IRON KNIVES AND THREE OTHER IRON ARTEFACTS FROM CANNINGTON, SOMERSET.
Author(s): J G McDonnell
Fourteen iron knives from Roman, sub-Roman and undated contexts were analysed. The purpose was to determine the methods of knife manufacture, and by comparison with other data investigate the possibilities of distinguishing between knives of Roman and sub-Roman manufacture. The results were inconclusive, but there were three Type 2 knives present which were of much better quality than the other knives. Three other artefacts, possible tools, were analysed to determine whether their metallurgical structure gave an indication of their function. Since they all had heterogeneous microstructures of ferrite/phosphoric iron and slow cooled, low carbon steel, no firm conclusion could be reached.
- Report Number:
- 9/1989
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 17
- Keywords:
- Iron
