Swords made of iron (as opposed to bronze) appear from the Early Iron Age (c. 12th century BC), but do not become widespread before the 8th century BC. Early Iron Age swords were significantly different from later steel swords. They were work-hardened, rather than quench-hardened, which made them generally comparable to, and sometimes inferior to, high-quality bronze swords in strength and hardness.
Swords made of iron (as opposed to bronze) appear from the Early Iron Age (c. 12th century BC), but do not become widespread before the 8th century BC. Early Iron Age swords were significantly different from later steel swords. They were work-hardened, rather than quench-hardened, which made them generally comparable to, and sometimes inferior to, high-quality bronze swords in strength and hardness.
Source: Wikipedia "Iron Age sword" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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