The iron clamps and dowels from the Parthenon and Erechthion
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Abstract
Twenty double T-clamps taken from the Parthenon and the Erechthion in Athens were subjected to metallurgical analysis. The examination involved the longitudinal sectioning of three clamps and two dowels in order to allow better access to their true macrostructure. Previous studies were limited to a surface investigation of such items thus leading to incorrect conclusions regarding the number and the quality of the metal strips used to produce them. The present in-depth analysis suggests several important
revisions. In addition, the paper puts forward suggestions as to how these items were actually produced, based on attempts to simulate their production under conditions similar to those of antiquity. Chemical analysis showed that the ancients used exceedingly pure iron thus raising questions about the source of such raw materials and the location of smelting sites. The paper concludes with an attempt to illuminate the remarkable capacity of ancient clamps and dowels to withstand corrosion through the ages.
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