Archaeologists have discovered two Iron Age axes, but they were found thousands of miles apart. The distant locations of the two tools gave researchers new insights into the differences in ancient metalworking methods from one region to another. A new study compares these axes, one from Kazakhstan and the other from northern Germany, both dating to roughly the same Iron Age period. The tools were built using separate iron-making techniques, according to the research published in the journal Radiocarbon.
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Dating Iron That Refused to Reveal Its Age
Matthias C. Hüls of the Leibniz-Laboratory originally led the study for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research at Kiel University in Germany. Iron tools rarely carry specific signs of age, and visible clues are not always accurate. Hüls prefers to use radiocarbon dating on the carbon trapped inside the metal axes. He pairs this approach with microscopic and chemical testing so that he can pinpoint an accurate range of time of manufacture for each artifact. He links dating information with the method of production.
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Map showing the locations of the Early Iron Age axes analyzed in the study. Found nearly 3,000 miles (4,800 km) apart in northern Germany and central Kazakhstan, the artifacts reveal distinct regional ironworking traditions despite their similar form. (Hüls/CC BY-SA)
The Mystery of the Kyzylzhartas Axe
The Kyzylzhartas Axe-Adze was uncovered in 2020 from a burial mound within the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. Testing places its origin between 357 and 166 BC, a few centuries after the burial site was first used. That gap in time suggests the axe may have been left behind much later, possibly when a neighboring burial mound was under construction near the first one. Closer inspection of the Iron Age axe found in Kazakhstan shows that the individuals who forged it deliberately combined two types of iron while forging the metal.
Engineering the Perfect Edge
According to researchers, the practice of combining two types of iron involved using softer metal near the handle while incorporating a harder, carbon-rich iron along the edges used for cutting. The blades were heat-treated to make them far stronger and better able to withstand battle. Chemical analysis of the slag, a byproduct of the smelting process, shows that the iron had already been refined with a distinct, unusual sense of efficiency. There was also a level of quality not typically seen in Europe until the medieval period.
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Microscopic and metallographic analyses of an Early Iron Age iron axe reveal internal structures formed during forging, welding, and heat treatment. These laboratory techniques enabled researchers to reconstruct ancient manufacturing methods and compare regional metallurgical traditions across Eurasia. (C. Matthias Hüls/Cambridge University Press)
Germany’s Iron Age Tells a Different Story
The second Iron Age axe, known as the Högersdorf Axe, was recovered near Bad Segeberg in northern Germany, as part of a small collection of similar tools. The dates of this axe also range between 480 and 211 BC. Unlike its Kazakh counterpart, the German-found axe was made from softer, phosphorus-rich iron, most likely taken from local bog iron ore found near certain rivers and wetlands native to this specific German region. The smelting process behind the forging of this axe appears far less efficient, and the metal was also noticeably softer.
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Conclusion
The toolmakers from the Kazakhstan region who made the Kyzylzhartas Axe-Adze had advanced knowledge of smelting. In contrast, the Högersdorf Axe reflects a simpler and more resource-driven approach. The researchers noted that both axes are only a small sample of such artifacts. Still, they offer a rare side-by-side look at how geography, coordinated with material access, shaped different iron working traditions across the reaches of the ancient world.
Top Image: Iron Age iron axes from Kazakhstan (A) and northern Germany (B) examined through radiocarbon dating and metallographic analysis. Although similar in appearance, the artifacts reveal distinct regional forging traditions that developed independently across Eurasia. Source: Hüls, C. Matthias, Arman Z. Beisenov, Krzysztof Matus, Andrzej Z. Rakowski, and Christian Hamann/Cambridge University Press
By Ramsey Hardin
References
Moeed, Abdul. 2026. “Ancient Iron Age Axes Found 3,000 Miles Apart Reveal Different Forging Secrets.” The Greek Reporter (July). https://greekreporter.com/2026/07/22/iron-age-axes-different-forging-secrets/
Hüls, C. Matthias, Alexander Panichkin, Arman Z. Beisenov, Krzysztof Matus, Andrzej Z. Rakowski, and Christian Hamann. “Archaeometry (Radiometric Dating, Metallography) for Two Early Iron-Age Axes from Northern Europe and Central Asia.” Radiocarbon. Cambridge University Press, 2026. Accessed July 23, 2026.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/archaeometry-radiometric-dating-metallography-for-two-early-ironage-axes-from-northern-europe-and-central-asia/C7CFDB085D6FC0C4DE5871ACCCD80D70.
Hüls, C. Matthias, Alexander Panichkin, Arman Z. Beisenov, Krzysztof Matus, Andrzej Z. Rakowski, and Christian Hamann. “Archaeometry (Radiometric Dating, Metallography) for Two Early Iron-Age Axes from Northern Europe and Central Asia.” Presented at the 25th Radiocarbon Conference, Kraków, Poland, June 29–July 4, 2025. Conference Proceedings. Accessed July 23, 2026. https://www.academia.edu/145425528/ARCHAEOMETRY_RADIOMETRIC_DATING_METALLOGRAPHY_FOR_TWO_EARLY_IRON_AGE_AXES_FROM_NORTHERN_EUROPE_AND_CENTRAL_ASIA_Krakow_2025
