Analysis of the Nails from the Roman Legionary at Inchtuthil

This study is focused on the nails found at Inchtuthil, Perthshire (UK) dating to 87 A.D., The investigated nails were subjected to a preliminary radiographic analysis in order to point out the distribution of significant non‐metallic inclusions within the metal bulk. After the sectioning of the sample, an accurate optical microscopy examination was performed in order to study the different structural constituents of the microstructure. SEM‐EDS analysis allowed to quantitatively characterise the chemical composition of non‐metallic inclusions, while SEM‐EBSD examination revealed the crystallographic textures of the examined alloy. This information, coupled with the measurements of the micro‐hardness suggests a new hypothesis on the plastic deformation process adopted for the realization of the observed nails.