Fall 2015
Prior to advancing to candidacy at my home institution of UC Berkeley, I came here to learn metallographic specimen preparation and interpretation with Professor Killick, who has been extremely generous in sharing his time and resources. I will apply what I’ve learned here to investigate possible environmental consequences of large scale iron forging activities on the Osaka Plain in the fifth century AD. In the meanwhile, I’ve been cutting my teeth on a number of samples I picked up last summer. Using a mix of Japanese antiques, recent tools made from antique wrought iron, and some made of modern steels, I’ve been able to observe a wide variety of composite structures as well as metal microstructures. While I still have a lot to learn, I’m planning on submitting a poster presentation to the 8th World Archaeological Congress based on my metallographic interpretation of a 15th century Bizen-school Japanese sword.
To get all this done, I’m splitting my time between the LTT, where I polish (and repolish) my specimens, and the multipurpose lab (Haury 411) where I make use of the microscopes to investigate their microstructures. I’m only here until the end of December, but I’m grateful for the support and kindness of the School of Anthropology and especially the users of the LTT.
(James) Scott Lyons
