It is common for LDS apologists to appeal to the work of Sigvald Linné to counter claims that the metallurgy in the Book of Mormon is a major problem against its historicity.
The late Evangelical Protestant apologist, Marian Bodine, wrote in her Book of Mormon vs. the Bibe (Or Common Sense):
15. I Nephi
16:18, bows of steel? “Iron, steel, glass, and silk were
not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted
meteoric iron). Nuggets of native copper were used in various locations in
pre-Columbian times, but true metallurgy was limited to southern Mexico and the
Andean region, where its occurrence in late prehistoric times involved gold,
silver, copper, and their alloys, but not iron.” (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution)
D. Charles Pyle, in his response, wrote, in part that::
Swedish archaeologist Sigvald Linne would disagree with this outdated statement. He stated that a piece of iron found in Mitla, Oaxaca, was probably refined (Zapotecan Antiquities, Ethnographical Museum of Sweden, Publication 4, n.s., p. 75). This same archaeologist also found a pottery vessel (dated A.D. 300) that contained the remains of a mixture of what appeared to be smelted copper and iron (Mexican Highland Cultures, Ethnographical Museum of Sweden, Publication 7, n.s., p. 132).
I have recently acquired both works, to decided to reproduce the relevant portions of these works and provide images thereof:
In a grave-chamber situated in [Mitla, Oaxaca]
were among other things found 20 bells and a number of tweezers of copper, part
of a small, circular iron plate, a necklace consisting of small, perforated
shells and a rasping bone. The iron plate is no doubt to be counted among the
most remarkable objects that have at any time been discovered in Mexico seeing
there is nothing to indicate that it is of post-Columbian origin (cf. p 75).
Hitherto it has always been held as an axiom that iron was unknown to the
Indians of ancient America. A clay vessel found in this grave was of Mixtecan
type. In a neighbouring grave-chamber were, among other things, found a “metate”
(grinding stone) with its “mano” (muller), and a large number of clay vessels
referable to Period V. (Sigvald Linné, Zapotecan Antiquities and the Paulson
Collection in the Ethnographical Museum of Sweden, Ethnographical Museum of
Sweden (n.s.) 4 [Stockholm: Bokförlags Aktiebolaget Thule, 1938], 53)
The grave in question no doubt dates from the
time when the Miextecs were in possession. The chemist, connected with the
Instituto de Geología, Univeridad Nacional de Mexico, that analysed this object
reports on it as follows:
Insoluble . . . poquísimo [Eng: Insoluble . .
. very little]
Fierro . . . bastante [Eng: Iron . . . much]
Aluminio . . . poco [Eng: Aluminium . . .
little]
Azufre . . . bastante [Eng: Sulphur . . .
much]
Carbón . . . muy poco [Eng: Carbon . . . very
little]
Unfortunately the above analysis cannot,
however, be considered satisfactory. To the metallurgist, a quantitative
analysis would have revealed the method iron was produced. The statement that
the iron contained a considerable percentage of sulphur is not by itself of any
great value as it merely indicates that the metal was extracted by a primitive
method. (Ibid., 75-76)
Metal-resembling substance, small, irregular shaped pieces. Analysis
has shown them to contain copper and iron, but no zinc, tin or antimony. (Sigvald
Linné, Mexican Highland Cultures, Ethnographical Museum of Sweden Publication 7
[Lund, Sweden: Ohlssons, 1942], 132. This is part of a listing of objects found
at a burial site at Tlamimilolpa)
