Damascus Steel: Myths and Reality

Mark E. Hall

Using data from the archaeological record, literary sources, and material science, this paper examines the technology and origins of Damascus steel. It is believed to have been made from ultra-high carbon steel. The origins for Damascus steel do not lie in Syria. Archaeological evidence points to the use of ultra-high carbon steel in the Indian sub-continent and Persia by the first century A.D. The occurrence of damascened blades coincides with the areas conquered by the Muslims during the Middle Ages.

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