Iron tools of Europe date as 2,900 years old on the Iberian peninsula.

Source: https://scitechdaily.com/2900-years-ago-archaeologists-prove-that-steel-tools-were-used-in-europe-earlier-than-previously-thought/



HOMESCIENCE NEWS2,900 Years Ago: Archaeologists Prove That Steel Tools Were Used in Europe Earlier Than Previously Thought

TOPICS:ArchaeologySteelUniversity Of Freiburg

By UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG MARCH 15, 2023

Using geochemicalanalyses, the researchers were able to prove that stone stelae on the Iberian peninsula that date back to the Final Bronze Age feature complex engravings that could only have been done using tempered steel. Credit: Rafael Ferreiro Mählmann (A), Bastian Asmus (B), Ralph Araque Gonzalez (C-E). University of Freiburg

An international and interdisciplinary team, led by Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez, an archaeologist from the Faculty of Humanities in Freiburg, has confirmed that steel tools were in use in Europe nearly 2900 years ago. Through geochemical analyses, the team determined that stone stelae found on the Iberian peninsula from the Final Bronze Age contain intricate engravings that could only have been created using tempered steel.

This finding was further supported by metallographic analysis of an iron chisel from the same time period and region (Rocha do Vigio, Portugal, ca. 900 BCE), which revealed that it had the required carbon content to be classified as proper steel.

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