Neutron imaging study of ‘pattern-welded’ swords from the Viking Age

We present novel imaging results from a non-invasive examination of three ‘pattern-welded’ swords from the Viking Age belonging to the National Museum of Denmark, using white beam and energy resolved tomographies with neutrons. Pattern-welded blades are made by forge welding together thin strips of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archaeological and anthropological sciences 2018-09, Vol.10 (6), p.1249-1263
Main Authors: Fedrigo, Anna, Strobl, Markus, Williams, Alan R., Lefmann, Kim, Lindelof, Poul Erik, Jørgensen, Lars, Pentz, Peter, Bausenwein, Dominik, Schillinger, Burkard, Kovyakh, Anton, Grazzi, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Chemistry/Food Science
Composite materials
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Geography
Iron
Life Sciences
Non-invasive
Original Paper
Technology
Welding
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Summary:We present novel imaging results from a non-invasive examination of three ‘pattern-welded’ swords from the Viking Age belonging to the National Museum of Denmark, using white beam and energy resolved tomographies with neutrons. Pattern-welded blades are made by forge welding together thin strips of iron and steel that were twisted and joined in various ways, producing a decorative pattern on the surface. The study shed light on the inner structure of the composite material and manufacturing techniques of these admired examples of past technology, revealing some otherwise invisible details of their assembly methods, phase distribution and extent of the corrosion.
ISSN:1866-9557
1866-9565
DOI:10.1007/s12520-016-0454-5