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Old 18th July 2007, 04:21 PM   #1
Mark
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It looks like an ingot to me. They can be mixed up with milling balls, which are used to crush ore, but I think those are round.

Ann Feuerbach or Ric Furrer are the authorities on this stuff. Paging Drs. Feuerbach & Furrer ...
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Old 18th July 2007, 04:34 PM   #2
Jens Nordlunde
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I may be wrong, but i think it was Jeff Pringle who pointed us in the direction of the mill balls.
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Old 18th July 2007, 11:19 PM   #3
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As per Eftihis, this piece is not round at all: it is polygonal and looks as if it was purposefully made this way.
I see no reason for wootz ingots to be shaped like that and no explanation for a spontaneous formation of a complex geometrical feature. Some kind of weight measure?

Last edited by ariel; 19th July 2007 at 03:39 AM.
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Old 19th July 2007, 05:57 AM   #4
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I think weight measures are usually marked with whatever weight they are supposed to be. I suspect that unless you polish and etch it to see if there are cementite and pearlite particles you will never know.

Another fantasy theory my be that this really is a canon ball but for use against non Christians. Just a theory, of course.

greg
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Old 19th July 2007, 06:48 AM   #5
Tim Simmons
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Grape shot or a lump of canister shot? It would not have to be well formed like a cannon ball?
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Old 19th July 2007, 06:59 AM   #6
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looks like it would work fine in an onager
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Old 19th July 2007, 02:31 PM   #7
Richard Furrer
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Hello All,
Indeed it was Jeff who pointed the direction of the mill ball.
The few I have had chemically tesed which a friend had from India were high in chromium which places it outside the wootz realm.

Etching a window will show you if it is cast or not, but not much more.

I have a few more here which I have yet to test so I cannot comment on what ALL of them are.

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