04-04-2013, 09:11 PM
I agree with Byron. The Celts were really excellent metalworkers and high level smithing did not start nor end with the Romans, far from it. The complexity of the pre-Roman La Tene finds is fantastic. So there is I feel no claim whatsoever for Roman superiority in smithing, in fact, many, many objects are of very mundane iron or mild steel, including swords.
The question however was if Pattern Welded steel would be appropiate in a Roman sword of the first or second century and the answer to that is no, there is no evidence for pattern welded gladii or spatha. There is TONS of evidence for Roman forgewelded blades from that period, combining iron of different carboncontent, though.
The question however was if Pattern Welded steel would be appropiate in a Roman sword of the first or second century and the answer to that is no, there is no evidence for pattern welded gladii or spatha. There is TONS of evidence for Roman forgewelded blades from that period, combining iron of different carboncontent, though.
