In the beginning, there was Iron...
Iron is one of the most common metals in the earth's crust. It can be found almost everywhere, combined with many other elements, in the form of ore. In Europe, iron working dates back to 1700 B.C. From the time of the Hittites to the end of the Middle Ages, the preparation of iron remained the same: alternating layers of ore and wood (or charcoal) were heated until a mass of molten ore was obtained, which it was then necessary to hammer while hot in order to remove the impurities - and thereby obtain the raw iron, ready to be forged. The forge was set up a few steps away from the hearth where the metal was prepared. Originally a simple conical hole in the ground, the hearth became a furnace, the "low forge," and was gradually perfected: from a few kilograms at first, the quantity of iron that could be obtained had risen to 50 to 60 kilograms by the Middle Ages. Moreover, small quantities of steel, i.e., iron enriched with carbon, were manufactured from the beginning. This material proved to be both harder and more resistant.
Collected by Kaysuns
Collected by Kaysuns