Later on, swords were made from bronze . Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. An alloy is a mixture of two or more base metals or elements to create another metal with certain specific properties. A better sword was developed with the advent of iron . Iron ore was easily found in every part of the ancient world.
Iron ore contains iron combined with oxygen.
To make iron from iron ore, you need to eliminate the oxygen to create pure iron. The most primitive facility used to refine iron from iron ore is called a bloomery . Charcoal is essentially pure carbon. Carbon and carbon monoxide combine with the oxygen in the iron ore and carry it away, leaving a porous, sponge-like mass called a bloom . The bloom was then hammered to remove most of the impurities.