Luristan Iron Mask Swords have been recovered mostly from illegal diggings in the 1920s. The about 90 known objects are characterized by a disk-shaped pommel on the top of the handle with two mounted bearded heads on two sides. According to the similarity in form and radiocarbon (14C) measurements on two swords from museum collections, an overall short production period was assumed around 1000 BC (Moorey 1991; Rehder 1991). Here we present the results of metallurgical analysis and 14C measurements for three newly acquired Luristan swords, which were donated to the Royal Museums of Art & History, Brussels. Metallurgical analysis indicates an iron production via the bloomary furnace technique. Analyzed samples show large slag inclusions (Fayalite, Wüstite, glass) within a mostly ferritic and pearlitic iron. The carbon contents varied between 0.2 wt% to around 0.8 wt%). 14C measurements on thermally extracted carbon give 14C ages between 2800 BP–3360 BP (calibrated ∼1745 BC–900 BC). The reliability of the 14C measurements are discussed with respect to external (contamination during handling) and intrinsic contamination (e.g. fossil carbon sources during manufacture).

中文翻译：

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古代东方早期铁器的绝对年代测定：卢里斯坦铁面具剑的放射性碳年代测定

Luristan Iron Mask Swords 大部分来自 1920 年代的非法挖掘。大约 90 个已知物体的特点是手柄顶部有一个圆盘状的鞍头，两侧有两个安装的胡须头。根据形态与放射性碳的相似性（14C) 对博物馆收藏的两把剑的测量结果，假设整个生产周期短于公元前 1000 年左右（Moorey 1991；Rehder 1991）。在这里，我们介绍了冶金分析的结果和14三把新购入的 Luristan 剑的 C 测量值，捐赠给布鲁塞尔皇家艺术与历史博物馆。冶金分析表明通过Bloomary炉技术生产铁。分析的样品显示在主要是铁素体和珠光体铁中含有大量的夹渣（铁橄榄石、Wüstite、玻璃）。碳含量在 0.2 wt% 到大约 0.8 wt% 之间变化）。14对热提取碳的 C 测量给出14C 年龄在 2800 BP-3360 BP 之间（校准~1745 BC-900 BC）。的可靠性14C 测量针对外部（处理过程中的污染）和内部污染（例如制造过程中的化石碳源）进行了讨论。