DAMASCUS STEEL

During the Middle Ages, Damascus steel was a product that spread through the Near East and earned renown in Europe. This type of material, made of high-carbon Wootz steel, originated in the south of India, probably Sri Lanka. Damascus steel is characterised by its

appearance, with striped or marbled patterns visible on the finished surface. However, the question of how Damascus steel was produced has not been fully answered. A later type of steel referred to as “Damascus steel” bears a similar pattern, but unlike genuine Damascus steel, the pattern is formed by welding together individual billets (“pattern welding”). Although the pattern appears similar, the technique is different. The steel was named after the Syrian city of Damascus, which Europeans had erroneously believed was the centre of production. In fact the material came from Iran or India; Damascus was the city in which it was traded. (JMl)