![]() ![]() Eventually, time and further development allowed for the production of these so-called legendary swords which supplanted bronze as the weapon material of choice for the nobility. So, the ability to produce large numbers of iron weapons overcame the advantages of bronze. ![]() So, although inferior to bronze, an army of hundreds or thousands could be equipped with iron weapons, which was not practical with bronze weapons. Unlike tin, iron ore is readily available. The common foot soldier was not going to possess bronze weapons there were not enough to go around. As a consequence, bronze weapons were the weapons utilized by nobles, royalty, pharaohs, etc. However, tin, which is required for the production of bronze, is not abundantly available. Bronze was superior to the iron produced commonly, so why did iron ultimately replace bronze?īronze weapons were indeed of higher quality than the common iron weapons typically produced. This sponge-like iron was then pounded to shape, densify, and remove impurities. Most of the iron used in weapons during the Iron Age, i.e., Roman swords, was a low-density iron sponge-like material. These blades were produced in areas known in the modern day as Iran, Japan, and China. ![]() These swords were produced using time-intensive and, many times, ritualistic processes. As we’ll see in the next lesson’s video, Secrets of the Viking Sword, throughout history there have been legendary quality swords, i.e., Damascus and Samurai to name just a couple. However, the processing of iron is not a trivial process.ĭue to limitations in furnace designs, i.e., the maximum obtainable temperatures, the availability and quality of iron varied greatly. Why did it take 2000 years for bronze to be replaced by iron? Looking around us we see structural steel and concrete seemingly everywhere in our modern cities. The beginning of the Bronze Age occurred around 3500 BCE and the beginning of the Iron Age began around 1000 BCE. ![]()
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