Metallographic examination of early medieval knives from the UK
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November 6, 2021
Abstract
A review in 2007 of archaeometallurgical studies carried out in the early 1980s and 1990s of early medieval (cAD 410-1100) iron knives revealed several patterns, with clear differences in knife manufacturing techniques present in rural cemeteries and later urban settlements. The main aim of the research presented here is to investigate these patterns and to gain an overall understanding of the early medieval iron industry. This study has increased the number of knives analysed from both settlements and cemeteries in this period, filling the gaps. The analysis revealed a clear change through time, with a standardisation in manufacturing techniques in the 7th century.
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Blakelock E and McDonnell G 2007, ‘A review of the metallographic analysis of early medieval knives’, Historical Metallurgy 41(1), 40-56.
Blakelock E S and McDonnell G 2011, ‘Early medieval knife manufacture in Britain: a comparison between rural and urban settlements (AD 400-1000)’, in J Hošek, H Cleere and L Mihok (eds), The archaeometallurgy of iron: recent developments in archaeological and scientific research (Prague), 123-136.
Blakelock E S 2012, The early medieval cutting edge of technology: An archaeometallurgical, technological and social study of the manufacture and use of Anglo-Saxon and Viking iron knives, and their contribution to the early medieval iron economy. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Bradford.
Dinwiddy K E and Stoodley N 2016, An Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire (Oxford: Wessex Archaeological Monograph 37).
Geake H 1992, ‘Burial practice in seventh- and eighth-century England’, in M O H Carver (ed), The age of Sutton Hoo: the seventh century in north-western Europe (Woodbridge), 83-94.
Geake H 2002, ‘Persistent problems in the study of conversion-period burials in England’, in S Lucy and A Reynolds (eds), Burial in early medieval England and Wales (London), 144-155.
Gilmour B and Salter C J 1998, ‘Thin sectioned samples from 38 ferrous objects found at Edix Hill, 1989-91’, in T Malim and J Hines (eds), The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire (York), microfiche 1.
Green C S, Davies S M and Ellison A 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, 1966-1982 Vol 1: The settlements (Dorchester: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph 7).
Hamerow H 2002, Early medieval settlements: the archaeology of rural communities in North-West Europe, 400-900 (Oxford).
Haslam J, Biek L and Tylecote R F 1980, ‘A Middle Saxon iron smelting site at Ramsbury, Wiltshire’, Medieval Archaeology 24, 1-68.
Hinton D A 2005, Gold and gilt, pots and pins: possessions and people in medieval Britain (Oxford).
Hodges R 1982, Dark age economics: the origins of towns and trade A.D. 600-1000 (New York).
Lucy S 2000, The Anglo-Saxon way of death: burial rites in early England (Stroud).
Lucy S and Reynolds A 2002, Burial in early medieval England and Wales (London).
Mack I, McDonnell G, Murphy S, Andrews P and Wardley K 2000, ‘Liquid steel in Anglo-Saxon England’, Historical Metallurgy 34(2), 87-96.
McDonnell G 1988, The ironworking residues from Romsey, Hampshire (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 72/1988).
McDonnell G 1989a, ‘Iron and its alloys in the fifth to eleventh centuries AD in England’, World Archaeology 20(3), 373-382.
McDonnell G 1989b, Metallurgical analyses of fourteen iron knives and three other iron artefacts from Cannington, Somerset (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 9/1989).
McDonnell G 1989c, Metallurgical analysis of iron artefacts from Lovedon Hill, Lincolnshire (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 132/1989).
Nowakowski J A, Quinnell H, Sturgess J, Thomas C and Thorpe C 2008, Return to Gwithian: shifting the sands of time (Truro).
Pleiner R 2006, Iron in archaeology: early European blacksmiths (Prague).
Reynolds A 1999, Later Anglo-Saxon England: life and landscape (Stroud).
Reynolds A 2003, ‘Boundaries and settlements in later sixth to eleventh century England’, in D Griffiths, A Reynolds and S Semple (eds), Boundaries in early medieval Britain (Oxford: Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History 12), 98-136.
Starley D 2009, ‘Metallurgy of knives and spearheads’, in M O H Carver (ed), Wasperton: a Roman, British and Anglo-Saxon community in central England (Woodbridge), 82-83.
Timby J R and Bartlett A 1996, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland: excavations carried out between 1974 and 1975 (Oxford: Oxbow Monograph 70).
Tylecote R F 1987, ‘A report on the metallurgical analyses of the knives from Poundbury’, in C S Green, S M Davies and A Ellison, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982: Vol 1 The settlements (Dorchester), microfiche 2: C10-C12.
Tylecote R F and Gilmour B J J 1986, The metallography of early ferrous edge tools and edged weapons (Oxford: BAR BS 155).
West S 1985, West Stow: the Anglo-Saxon village volume 1 text (Ipswich: East Anglian Archaeology 24).
Blakelock E S and McDonnell G 2011, ‘Early medieval knife manufacture in Britain: a comparison between rural and urban settlements (AD 400-1000)’, in J Hošek, H Cleere and L Mihok (eds), The archaeometallurgy of iron: recent developments in archaeological and scientific research (Prague), 123-136.
Blakelock E S 2012, The early medieval cutting edge of technology: An archaeometallurgical, technological and social study of the manufacture and use of Anglo-Saxon and Viking iron knives, and their contribution to the early medieval iron economy. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Bradford.
Dinwiddy K E and Stoodley N 2016, An Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire (Oxford: Wessex Archaeological Monograph 37).
Geake H 1992, ‘Burial practice in seventh- and eighth-century England’, in M O H Carver (ed), The age of Sutton Hoo: the seventh century in north-western Europe (Woodbridge), 83-94.
Geake H 2002, ‘Persistent problems in the study of conversion-period burials in England’, in S Lucy and A Reynolds (eds), Burial in early medieval England and Wales (London), 144-155.
Gilmour B and Salter C J 1998, ‘Thin sectioned samples from 38 ferrous objects found at Edix Hill, 1989-91’, in T Malim and J Hines (eds), The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire (York), microfiche 1.
Green C S, Davies S M and Ellison A 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, 1966-1982 Vol 1: The settlements (Dorchester: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph 7).
Hamerow H 2002, Early medieval settlements: the archaeology of rural communities in North-West Europe, 400-900 (Oxford).
Haslam J, Biek L and Tylecote R F 1980, ‘A Middle Saxon iron smelting site at Ramsbury, Wiltshire’, Medieval Archaeology 24, 1-68.
Hinton D A 2005, Gold and gilt, pots and pins: possessions and people in medieval Britain (Oxford).
Hodges R 1982, Dark age economics: the origins of towns and trade A.D. 600-1000 (New York).
Lucy S 2000, The Anglo-Saxon way of death: burial rites in early England (Stroud).
Lucy S and Reynolds A 2002, Burial in early medieval England and Wales (London).
Mack I, McDonnell G, Murphy S, Andrews P and Wardley K 2000, ‘Liquid steel in Anglo-Saxon England’, Historical Metallurgy 34(2), 87-96.
McDonnell G 1988, The ironworking residues from Romsey, Hampshire (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 72/1988).
McDonnell G 1989a, ‘Iron and its alloys in the fifth to eleventh centuries AD in England’, World Archaeology 20(3), 373-382.
McDonnell G 1989b, Metallurgical analyses of fourteen iron knives and three other iron artefacts from Cannington, Somerset (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 9/1989).
McDonnell G 1989c, Metallurgical analysis of iron artefacts from Lovedon Hill, Lincolnshire (London: Ancient Monuments Laboratory Report 132/1989).
Nowakowski J A, Quinnell H, Sturgess J, Thomas C and Thorpe C 2008, Return to Gwithian: shifting the sands of time (Truro).
Pleiner R 2006, Iron in archaeology: early European blacksmiths (Prague).
Reynolds A 1999, Later Anglo-Saxon England: life and landscape (Stroud).
Reynolds A 2003, ‘Boundaries and settlements in later sixth to eleventh century England’, in D Griffiths, A Reynolds and S Semple (eds), Boundaries in early medieval Britain (Oxford: Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History 12), 98-136.
Starley D 2009, ‘Metallurgy of knives and spearheads’, in M O H Carver (ed), Wasperton: a Roman, British and Anglo-Saxon community in central England (Woodbridge), 82-83.
Timby J R and Bartlett A 1996, The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland: excavations carried out between 1974 and 1975 (Oxford: Oxbow Monograph 70).
Tylecote R F 1987, ‘A report on the metallurgical analyses of the knives from Poundbury’, in C S Green, S M Davies and A Ellison, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982: Vol 1 The settlements (Dorchester), microfiche 2: C10-C12.
Tylecote R F and Gilmour B J J 1986, The metallography of early ferrous edge tools and edged weapons (Oxford: BAR BS 155).
West S 1985, West Stow: the Anglo-Saxon village volume 1 text (Ipswich: East Anglian Archaeology 24).
How to Cite
Blakelock, E. (2021). Metallographic examination of early medieval knives from the UK. Historical Metallurgy, 50(2), 85-94. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/53
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