Viking Steel!

[575]

Scholars have been pondering where the Vikings got their steel - well it seems Danish Archaologists now are convinced they made it themselves.

Fact is not much have been written on the subject - it is mentioned in a Danish language book by Archaologist Jeanette Varberg "Fortidens Slagmarker" (Battlefields of Past Ages) though somewhat in passing without any citations as it is a popular work.

Archeologist Henriette Syrach Lyngstrøm 2016 wrote on Videnskab.dk which have recently surfaced in public that the Viking Age should be termed Steel Age as the Danes during this time learned how to make steel. Not much to be found on-line here too.

Varberg write that to make steel the Viking Age smiths added carbonized human bone to the furnace which interacted with the bog-iron ore to create Steel.

It all make for some new interpretation of an old Danish Ironage saying that a boy should be in the smithy when iron is made - it have been theorized that it referred to use of a boy urine in the process but may refer to something more sinister!

[575]

Did some search - Bog Iron contain Manganese usually more than 10%. Modern Manganese Steel contain about 12-14% Manganese and is known for strenght and resistance to abrasion in a hardened state.

[stevep]

Aug 30, 2023 8:11:21 GMT 575 said:

Scholars have been pondering where the Vikings got their steel - well it seems Danish Archaologists now are convinced they made it themselves.

Fact is not much have been written on the subject - it is mentioned in a Danish language book by Archaologist Jeanette Varberg "Fortidens Slagmarker" (Battlefields of Past Ages) though somewhat in passing without any citations as it is a popular work.

Archeologist Henriette Syrach Lyngstrøm 2016 wrote on Videnskab.dk which have recently surfaced in public that the Viking Age should be termed Steel Age as the Danes during this time learned how to make steel. Not much to be found on-line here too.

Varberg write that to make steel the Viking Age smiths added carbonized human bone to the furnace which interacted with the bog-iron ore to create Steel.

It all make for some new interpretation of an old Danish Ironage saying that a boy should be in the smithy when iron is made - it have been theorized that it referred to use of a boy urine in the process but may refer to something more sinister!

  I remember reading a long while ago that Damascus steel, which was better than alternatives for a while was initially produced by executing a prisoner with a red hot sword blade.  The purpose was execution but the people doing it realised that the blade afterwards was superior in its quality.  For a while a lot of prisoners died until it was realised that the basic factor was quenching the blade in something cool.  Not sure how accurate the story was but something like that - or as you say someone to provide a cooling influence by pissing on it - could have been the source of the story about Viking steel?

[575]

Aug 30, 2023 22:03:04 GMT stevep said:

Aug 30, 2023 8:11:21 GMT 575 said:

Scholars have been pondering where the Vikings got their steel - well it seems Danish Archaologists now are convinced they made it themselves.

Fact is not much have been written on the subject - it is mentioned in a Danish language book by Archaologist Jeanette Varberg "Fortidens Slagmarker" (Battlefields of Past Ages) though somewhat in passing without any citations as it is a popular work.

Archeologist Henriette Syrach Lyngstrøm 2016 wrote on Videnskab.dk which have recently surfaced in public that the Viking Age should be termed Steel Age as the Danes during this time learned how to make steel. Not much to be found on-line here too.

Varberg write that to make steel the Viking Age smiths added carbonized human bone to the furnace which interacted with the bog-iron ore to create Steel.

It all make for some new interpretation of an old Danish Ironage saying that a boy should be in the smithy when iron is made - it have been theorized that it referred to use of a boy urine in the process but may refer to something more sinister!

  I remember reading a long while ago that Damascus steel, which was better than alternatives for a while was initially produced by executing a prisoner with a red hot sword blade.  The purpose was execution but the people doing it realised that the blade afterwards was superior in its quality.  For a while a lot of prisoners died until it was realised that the basic factor was quenching the blade in something cool.  Not sure how accurate the story was but something like that - or as you say someone to provide a cooling influence by pissing on it - could have been the source of the story about Viking steel?

Remember that one too though I think the adding of the boy would be in the form of human bone perhaps from a sacrificed prisoner or a Thrall child which wouldn't be out of the way of Ironage Danes. I know of the queching of steel but apparently the Archaologists have found traces of human carbon in Danish blades. Have found a paper on Ironworking in Scandinavia just have to look it over.

Actually I think the scientific adherence to the boy pissing would be to shy off the enevitable.