Noric steel

Ferrum Noricum, Latin for Noric iron or steel Norican was a well known carbon- hardening steel from Noricum during the period of the Roman Empire.

For the proverbial strength of Noric steel Ovid found the words: [ ... ] durior [ ... ] ferro quod Noricus excoquit ignis [ ... ] Almost the entire production was used for the production of weapons of the Roman army. The reason for the special use properties ( cutting edge, cutting ability and sharpen ) of the steel was up in recent times misunderstood manganese content of the ore, while phosphorus poverty.

The iron ore was mined in two mines in what is now Austria. Even today, both mountains, where there are the mines ore are called; one of the Erzberg mountain hut in Carinthia, the other in the mining of iron ore, Styria. The mines are separated by about 70 km.

Vagn Buchwald has a found in Krenovica, Moravia sword that is dated to about 300 BC, defined as an early example of Noric steel. The chemical composition is the origin of the iron ore from the mine ore. A more recent sword from the period around 100 BC, was found in Zemplín in eastern Slovakia. It is 95 cm long and bears a Latin inscription (? V? TILICI? O) which is translated by beech forest with " noble sword of Noric steel ". The trade center was then in the (now nameless ) city on the Magdalen mountain.