Application of spectral analysis to attribute Damascus blades dated to the 17th–19th centuries

Abstract

The article addresses one of the most significant topics in the field of weapons science, i.e., the historical Damascus blades of the Indo-Persian region. By combining previously known typological and characteristic features of oriental Damascus blades with variations in the charge and fluxes of crucible melting, observed in the historical period from the 16th to the 19th centuries, a pattern regarding the presence or absence of specific process impurities in patterned steels was established. These steels were found exclusively in the Indo-Persian region. In terms of chemical composition, not all crucible steels with a pattern on the surface of the blade can be considered Damascus when compared with the finest examples of Oriental weapons. The chemical characteristics of Damascus blades in terms of the quantitative content of process impurities are described in detail and confirmed with specific examples. New data is published on the chemical composition of 20 pieces of Damascus steel weapons dated to the 17th–19th centuries, including a shamshir with the marks of Asad (Asadullah) Isfahan. The study presents various types of damascene patterns from private collections of K. Khaydakov and D. Sukhanov, with the appropriate chemical composition. It was concluded that, based on the chemical composition, macro-, and microstructure, Damascus crucible steels of the Indo-Persian region should be classified as a distinct group of historical blade steels manufactured prior to the decline of local technologies and the influence of European metallurgical production in the Indo-Persian region.