A small clarification: pre-Columbian Mesoamerica did have copper and bronze metalworking, after picking it up from contact with South American societies some time between 600 and 800 CE. The Nahuas (Aztecs) had bronze axes called tlaximaltepoztli, for example. Macuahuitls might have just been better at cutting than bronze blades, though. Societies that learned about ironworking mostly replaced their bronze weapons with it, after all
Undoubtedly right, but might give the impression that iron is used because it’s a better material for weapons than bronze - that’s not its advantage.
Bronze is harder than iron, and holds a better edge - bronze knives are lighter than iron ones. (Harder metals aren’t necessarily better for swords, tho, as they’ll shatter rather than bend.). It also doesn’t corrode so readily. Bronze can also be worked around 1000 °C, which can be achieved with primitive forges, whereas iron needs about 1250 and needs much better tech.
The first real advantage iron has over bronze is that iron is everywhere, whereas bronze production needs tin mines, and they’re quite rare. If you can achieve the heat, it’s much easier to equip your whole army.
The second advantage iron has is that if you can achieve about 1500 °C in your smelter, and you’ve mastered getting ‘some but not too much carbon’ alloyed with it, you can make steel, which is a huge improvement over bronze. That’s generally not tech that could be achieved by ancient societies, though.
A small clarification: pre-Columbian Mesoamerica did have copper and bronze metalworking, after picking it up from contact with South American societies some time between 600 and 800 CE. The Nahuas (Aztecs) had bronze axes called tlaximaltepoztli, for example. Macuahuitls might have just been better at cutting than bronze blades, though. Societies that learned about ironworking mostly replaced their bronze weapons with it, after all
Undoubtedly right, but might give the impression that iron is used because it’s a better material for weapons than bronze - that’s not its advantage.
Bronze is harder than iron, and holds a better edge - bronze knives are lighter than iron ones. (Harder metals aren’t necessarily better for swords, tho, as they’ll shatter rather than bend.). It also doesn’t corrode so readily. Bronze can also be worked around 1000 °C, which can be achieved with primitive forges, whereas iron needs about 1250 and needs much better tech.
The first real advantage iron has over bronze is that iron is everywhere, whereas bronze production needs tin mines, and they’re quite rare. If you can achieve the heat, it’s much easier to equip your whole army.
The second advantage iron has is that if you can achieve about 1500 °C in your smelter, and you’ve mastered getting ‘some but not too much carbon’ alloyed with it, you can make steel, which is a huge improvement over bronze. That’s generally not tech that could be achieved by ancient societies, though.
Ahh, good points all round
Sorry, I was just trying to emphasize the more “sword-like” rather than “club-like” nature of the thing, not impugn their technology.
Obsidian is still better at cutting than steel. Surgeons use it.