DADvocate

Web sites About Archaeology and Department of Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore both claim that ancient people melted steel with fire!

From About Archaeology.com:

Damascus steel is that it was made from a raw material called wootz steel. Wootz was an exceptional grade of iron ore steel first made in southern and south central India and Sri Lanka perhaps as early as 300 BC. Wootz was extracted from raw iron ore and formed using a crucible to melt, burn away impurities and add important ingredients, including a high carbon content (nearly 1.5% by weight---wrought iron typically has carbon content around .1%).

Surely this can't be. For as we all know, the first time in history that fire melted steel was on 9/11. (ref: Rosie ODonnell)