Meteoritic origin and manufacturing process of iron blades in two Bronze Age bimetallic objects from China

It is widely accepted that meteoritic iron was the first iron alloy used by mankind, however, the manufacturing processes of the earliest iron artefacts remain uncertain and sometimes disputed. Here, we present both chemical and microanalytical results of samples from two bimetallic objects from Bronze Age central China. It is confirmed that the blades were made of meteoritic iron. In-situ photomicrograph and detailed microanalysis provides solid evidence for the cast-on and hot-work processes. We also demonstrate that significant information can be extracted through multiple analyses despite the severely corroded condition of ancient iron objects.