Chromium steel first made in ancient Persia
24 September 2020
/
Cosmos
Old manuscripts help new technology find the evidence.
Chromium steel, long considered a 20th century innovation, was in fact first made in Persia nearly a millennium earlier, according to a new study.
The discovery, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, was made with the aid of medieval Persian manuscripts, which led researchers to an archaeological site in Chahak, southern Iran.
And it’s significant for more than just setting the record straight, according to lead author Rahil Alipour, an archaeologist with University College London.
It also “provides a chemical tracer that could aid the identification of crucible steel artefacts in museums or archaeological collections back to their origin in Chahak, or the Chahak tradition”.
More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/chromium-steel-first-made-in-ancient-persia/