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I came across an interesting documentary yesterday:
If you are at all interested in ancient technology, anthropology, Vikings, or ancient trade routes through the Far / Middle East, then I recommend this program.
Spoiler
Alert!!!
The Ulfberht was a type of Viking sword that used technology
1000 years ahead of its time. Only a relative few have been found, all marked
with the word "Ulfberht." This steel had comparatively few impurities and had a much
higher carbon content than its contemporaries. The swords were
often given ancestors' names, incorporating their power. Burnt bones
from ancestors or powerful animals such as bears
may have been used to add the very specific amount of necessary carbon
and a mystical, magical power to these exceptionally strong and flexible
blades. This type is steel is thought to have originated in Central
Asia, known as "Damascus Steel" and later "Crucible Steel." As an interesting side-note, thousands of artifacts
from the Far East, including a Buddha from India, and an exquisite ring
with the word "Allah" engraved in it, have been found in Viking graves. Islamic coins were commonly traded during that era in
Scandinavia. It is probable that the special steel originated in Iran,
along the Volga trade route. The Vikings didn't know how to make this
steel, and the swords disappeared from history once the Volga Trade
Route ceased operation.
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