A review of metallographic analyses of early medieval knives
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Published
Nov 12, 2021
Abstract
Early medieval knives provide a wealth of technological data, including information about the quality of iron alloys and smithing techniques (such as manufacturing techniques and heat treatments), and information on cultural aspects such as the treatment of knives found in cemeteries and whether they differ from settlement knives. This paper synthesises the metallographic data obtained from the analysis of iron knives recovered from both settlement and cemetery sites of early medieval date, cAD 400–900, with the aim of reviewing the technology used in the manufacture of these knives. Data from 79 knives has shown some clear differences in the manufacture of knives found in cemeteries compared with those found at settlement sites. Most of all, the data demonstrates the paucity of archaeometallurgical investigations of this vital commodity, and the importance of reviewing and re-assessing past studies.
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References
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Brisbane M A 1992, The archaeology of Novgorod, Russia: Recent results from the town and its hinterland. (Lincoln: Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph 13).
Clark A and Hamerow H 1993, Excavations at Mucking (London).
Evison V I 1987, Dover: the Buckland Anglo-Saxon cemetery (London).
Fell V and Starley D 1999, A technological study of ferrous blades from the Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Boss Hall and St Stephen’s Lane-Buttermarket, Ipswich, Suffolk. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 18/1999.
Fennell K R 1974, ‘Pagan Saxon Lincolnshire’, Archaeological Journal 131, 283–313.
Gilmour B and Salter C 1998, ‘Thin sectioned samples from 38 ferrous objects found at Edix Hill, 1989–91’, in T Malim and J Hines, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire (York: CBA Research Report 112), fiche 1.
Green C S 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966–1982 – Volume 1, the settlements (Dorchester).
Lucy S 2000, The Anglo-Saxon way of death (Stroud).
Mack I, McDonnell G, Murphy S, Andrews P and Wardley K 2000, ‘Liquid steel in Anglo-Saxon England’, Historical Metallurgy 34(2), 87–96.
Malim T and Hines J 1998, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire. (York: CBA Research Report 112).
McDonnell J G 1987a, Metallurgical analysis of six iron knives from Hamwih, Southampton. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 93/1987.
McDonnell J G 1987b, Analysis of eight iron knives and four other tools from Hamwih, Southampton. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 137/1987.
McDonnell J G 1989a, Metallurgical analyses of fourteen iron knives and three other iron artefacts from Cannington, Somerset. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 9/1989.
McDonnell J G 1989b, Metallurgical analysis of iron artefacts from Loveden Hill, Lincolnshire. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 132/1989.
McDonnell J G 1989c, ‘Iron and its alloys in the fifth to eleventh centuries AD in England’, World Archaeology 20, 373–381.
McDonnell J G 1992, ‘Metallurgical analysis of knives’, in P Ottaway, Anglo-Scandinavian ironwork from 16–22 Coppergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/6), fi che 2: C9–D12.
McDonnell G, Fell V and Andrews P 1991, The typology of Saxon knives from Hamwih. London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 96/1991.
McKinley J I 1994, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Spong Hill, North Elmham Part VIII: The cremations (Gressenhall: East Anglian Archaeology Report 69).
McKinley J I 1997, ‘Bronze Age barrows and funerary rites and rituals of cremation’, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 63, 129–145.
Ottaway P 1984, ‘Anglo-Scandinavian knives from 16–22 Coppergate, York’, in B G Scott and H Cleere (eds), The crafts of the blacksmith (Belfast), 83–86.
Ottaway P 1992, Anglo-Scandinavian ironwork from 16–22 Coppergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/6).
Ottaway P and N Rogers 2002, Craft, industry and everyday life: Finds from medieval York (York: Archaeology of York 17/15).
Rahtz P, Hirst S and Wright S M 2000, Cannington cemetery: Excavations 1962–3 of prehistoric, Roman, post-Roman, and later features at Cannington Park Quarry, near Bridgwater, Somerset (London: Britannia Monograph 17).
Rogers N 1993, Anglian and other finds from 46–54 Fishergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/9).
Rulton S I 2003, An investigation in to the metallurgy of a group of Anglo-Saxon and medieval knives from Winchester. Unpublished undergraduate dissertation, University of Bradford.
Samuels L E 1999, Light microscopy of carbon steels (Metals Park, Ohio).
Smith R J C, Birbeck V and Mepham L 2000, St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton: Assessment report on the results of a programme of archaeological work including proposals for post-excavation analysis and publication (Salisbury).
Starley D 1996, A technological study of knives and spearheads from the excavations at Mucking, Essex. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 37/1996.
Swiss A J 2000, The metallographic analysis of selected Roman ferrous edged tools from Castle Street, Carlisle. Unpublished MA thesis, University of Bradford.
Swiss A J and McDonnell J G 2003, ‘Evidence and interpretation of cold working in ferritic iron’, in Archaeometallurgy in Europe: Conference proceedings, Vol 1 (Milan), 209–217.
Timby J R 1996, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland (Oxford).
Thompson M W 1967, Novgorod the Great (London).
Tylecote R F and Gilmour B J 1986, The metallography of early ferrous edge tools and edged weapons (Oxford: BAR British Series 155).
Tylecote R F 1987a, The early history of metallurgy in Europe (London).
Tylecote R F 1987b, ‘A report on the metallurgical analyses of the knives from Poundbury’, in C S Green, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966–1982 – Volume 1 the settlements.
(Dorchester), fiche 2: C10–C12.
Wiemer K 1993, ‘Metallurgical analysis of knives from Fishergate’, in N Rogers, Anglian and other finds from 46–54 Fishergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/9), 1273–1307.
Wiemer K 1996, ‘Metallurgical analyses of iron knives from Empingham’, in J R Timby, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland (Oxford), 76–85.
Wilson D M and Hurst J G 1957, ‘Medieval Britain in 1956’, Medieval Archaeology 1, 147–171.
Wilthew P 1987, ‘Metallographic examination of medieval knives and shears’, in J Cowgill, M de Neergaard and N Griffiths, Knives and scabbards (London), 62–74.
Brisbane M A 1992, The archaeology of Novgorod, Russia: Recent results from the town and its hinterland. (Lincoln: Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph 13).
Clark A and Hamerow H 1993, Excavations at Mucking (London).
Evison V I 1987, Dover: the Buckland Anglo-Saxon cemetery (London).
Fell V and Starley D 1999, A technological study of ferrous blades from the Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Boss Hall and St Stephen’s Lane-Buttermarket, Ipswich, Suffolk. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 18/1999.
Fennell K R 1974, ‘Pagan Saxon Lincolnshire’, Archaeological Journal 131, 283–313.
Gilmour B and Salter C 1998, ‘Thin sectioned samples from 38 ferrous objects found at Edix Hill, 1989–91’, in T Malim and J Hines, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire (York: CBA Research Report 112), fiche 1.
Green C S 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966–1982 – Volume 1, the settlements (Dorchester).
Lucy S 2000, The Anglo-Saxon way of death (Stroud).
Mack I, McDonnell G, Murphy S, Andrews P and Wardley K 2000, ‘Liquid steel in Anglo-Saxon England’, Historical Metallurgy 34(2), 87–96.
Malim T and Hines J 1998, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire. (York: CBA Research Report 112).
McDonnell J G 1987a, Metallurgical analysis of six iron knives from Hamwih, Southampton. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 93/1987.
McDonnell J G 1987b, Analysis of eight iron knives and four other tools from Hamwih, Southampton. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 137/1987.
McDonnell J G 1989a, Metallurgical analyses of fourteen iron knives and three other iron artefacts from Cannington, Somerset. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 9/1989.
McDonnell J G 1989b, Metallurgical analysis of iron artefacts from Loveden Hill, Lincolnshire. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 132/1989.
McDonnell J G 1989c, ‘Iron and its alloys in the fifth to eleventh centuries AD in England’, World Archaeology 20, 373–381.
McDonnell J G 1992, ‘Metallurgical analysis of knives’, in P Ottaway, Anglo-Scandinavian ironwork from 16–22 Coppergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/6), fi che 2: C9–D12.
McDonnell G, Fell V and Andrews P 1991, The typology of Saxon knives from Hamwih. London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 96/1991.
McKinley J I 1994, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Spong Hill, North Elmham Part VIII: The cremations (Gressenhall: East Anglian Archaeology Report 69).
McKinley J I 1997, ‘Bronze Age barrows and funerary rites and rituals of cremation’, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 63, 129–145.
Ottaway P 1984, ‘Anglo-Scandinavian knives from 16–22 Coppergate, York’, in B G Scott and H Cleere (eds), The crafts of the blacksmith (Belfast), 83–86.
Ottaway P 1992, Anglo-Scandinavian ironwork from 16–22 Coppergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/6).
Ottaway P and N Rogers 2002, Craft, industry and everyday life: Finds from medieval York (York: Archaeology of York 17/15).
Rahtz P, Hirst S and Wright S M 2000, Cannington cemetery: Excavations 1962–3 of prehistoric, Roman, post-Roman, and later features at Cannington Park Quarry, near Bridgwater, Somerset (London: Britannia Monograph 17).
Rogers N 1993, Anglian and other finds from 46–54 Fishergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/9).
Rulton S I 2003, An investigation in to the metallurgy of a group of Anglo-Saxon and medieval knives from Winchester. Unpublished undergraduate dissertation, University of Bradford.
Samuels L E 1999, Light microscopy of carbon steels (Metals Park, Ohio).
Smith R J C, Birbeck V and Mepham L 2000, St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton: Assessment report on the results of a programme of archaeological work including proposals for post-excavation analysis and publication (Salisbury).
Starley D 1996, A technological study of knives and spearheads from the excavations at Mucking, Essex. Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 37/1996.
Swiss A J 2000, The metallographic analysis of selected Roman ferrous edged tools from Castle Street, Carlisle. Unpublished MA thesis, University of Bradford.
Swiss A J and McDonnell J G 2003, ‘Evidence and interpretation of cold working in ferritic iron’, in Archaeometallurgy in Europe: Conference proceedings, Vol 1 (Milan), 209–217.
Timby J R 1996, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland (Oxford).
Thompson M W 1967, Novgorod the Great (London).
Tylecote R F and Gilmour B J 1986, The metallography of early ferrous edge tools and edged weapons (Oxford: BAR British Series 155).
Tylecote R F 1987a, The early history of metallurgy in Europe (London).
Tylecote R F 1987b, ‘A report on the metallurgical analyses of the knives from Poundbury’, in C S Green, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966–1982 – Volume 1 the settlements.
(Dorchester), fiche 2: C10–C12.
Wiemer K 1993, ‘Metallurgical analysis of knives from Fishergate’, in N Rogers, Anglian and other finds from 46–54 Fishergate (London: Archaeology of York 17/9), 1273–1307.
Wiemer K 1996, ‘Metallurgical analyses of iron knives from Empingham’, in J R Timby, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland (Oxford), 76–85.
Wilson D M and Hurst J G 1957, ‘Medieval Britain in 1956’, Medieval Archaeology 1, 147–171.
Wilthew P 1987, ‘Metallographic examination of medieval knives and shears’, in J Cowgill, M de Neergaard and N Griffiths, Knives and scabbards (London), 62–74.
How to Cite
A review of metallographic analyses of early medieval knives. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 41(1), 40-56. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/221
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How to Cite
A review of metallographic analyses of early medieval knives. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 41(1), 40-56. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/221