Early Iron Age Iranian bladed weaponry plays a significant role in discussions of metallurgical development in the ancient Near East. Due to its ubiquity in museum collections, as well as co-occurrence of bronze, iron, and bimetallic forms, it figures prominently in debates about the early ironworking techniques in the late 2nd and early 1st millennia BCE. However, dispersed collections, often lacking secure archaeological context, have made comprehensive assessment difficult. One major type of bladed weaponry, the so-called split-ear pommel swords have been the subject of much discussion, particularly around the presence of an iron core identified in many examples. Neutron tomography was applied to eight swords of this type to image their inner structure, assess the manufacturing process and determine possible recent modifications—the first time this technique has been applied to bronze Iranian weaponry of any period. The objects were recovered by the Border Force after being seized on entry to the UK and will be repatriated to Iran, providing an opportunity to investigate both ancient manufacture and modern (illicit) modifications. The results reveal extensive modern modification, namely the replacement of original blades—often made of iron—with different (but probably also ancient) bronze blades, conclusively showing that “iron cores” were not a technological feature in these bronze swords, but a result of modern tampering. Widespread iron blade replacement has masked the true extent of the production of bimetallic weapons and obscured the technological choices of early ironworkers. Given the centrality of unprovenanced objects in discussions of Iranian Iron Age metallurgy, these modifications have negative consequences for efforts to map the process of iron innovation.

中文翻译：

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中子断层扫描揭示了铁器时代伊朗剑的广泛现代改造


铁器时代早期伊朗刀式武器在古代近东冶金发展的讨论中发挥着重要作用。由于它在博物馆藏品中无处不在，以及青铜、铁和双金属形式的共存，它在公元前 2 世纪末和 1 世纪初关于早期铁工技术的辩论中占据突出地位。然而，分散的藏品，往往缺乏安全的考古背景，这使得全面评估变得困难。一种主要的带刃武器类型，即所谓的裂耳鞍剑，一直是许多讨论的主题，特别是围绕许多例子中确定的铁芯的存在。中子断层扫描被应用于八把这种类型的剑，以对其内部结构进行成像，评估制造过程并确定可能的近期修改——这是该技术首次应用于任何时期的伊朗青铜武器。这些物品在进入英国时被扣押后被边防部队追回，并将送回伊朗，为调查古代制造和现代（非法）改装提供了机会。结果揭示了广泛的现代修改，即用不同的（但也可能是古老的）青铜刀片替换原来的刀片——通常由铁制成——最终表明“铁芯”不是这些青铜剑的技术特征，而是现代篡改的结果。广泛的铁刀片更换掩盖了双金属武器生产的真实程度，并掩盖了早期铁工的技术选择。 鉴于未出处的物品在伊朗铁器时代冶金讨论中的核心地位，这些修改对绘制铁器创新过程的努力产生了负面影响。