[TheForge] weapons found with the terracotta army

[Andrew Vida]

Who knows?  The wootz of Damascus fame was a happy coincidence of high 
vanaadium.  When that vein of ore ran out, wootz disappeared.

On 6/12/2012 11:25 PM, terry l. ridder wrote:
> hello;
>
> i have been reading about the terracotta army in china and the
> excavation work that has and is still going on. in reading about the
> weapons found with the terracotta army many questions come to mind. many
> of the swords found are still 2,000 yrs later still sharp and corrosion
> free. they have a 10 to 12 micrometer layer of chromium oxide on the
> blades. i find it hard to believe that the swordsmiths in china 2,000
> yrs ago had any knowledge of chromium or chromium oxide. was it just
> chance that the metals they were using to fashion the swords was
> contaminated with just the right amount of chromium to provide corrosion
> resistance that has lasted 2,000 yrs?
>
>
>