Quote:
Originally Posted by Pertinax
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On page 25, a reasonable question arises:
"In European iron, therefore, artisans in coastal West Africa encountered a material that was quite unsuited for making bladed tools in the traditional African manner. Why, then, did voyage iron continue to find a market?"
Funny, isn't it? Iron was transported from Europe to Africa for several centuries, and its uses there remain unknown.:смущенный:
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Yuri, a couple of possibilities come to mind. First, the Africans may have found a way to use the relatively carbon-poor voyage iron from Europe for weaponry by adding some carbon to the iron. Alternatively, they could have used voyage iron for non-weapons objects, such as "ceremonial" or "currency" iron objects. There are many "bladed objects," some of unusual shapes, that have been described in this way.