It was the stuff of legend. The superweapon of the Middle Ages. Harder, sharper, stronger, and more flexible than anything else. It was a modern superalloy steel in a medieval environment. It was Damascus steel, and it was made in... Turkmenistan??!
In this episode of How Minerals Made Civilization, check out the hidden story of Central Asian (Damascus) steel: its mysterious origins, the loss of the technology, its rediscovery.
#howmineralsmadecivilization #damascussteel #mininghistory #steelmaking #mineralresources
Sources: A. Feuerbach (2002) Crucible steel in Central Asia: Production, use, and origins.