There's a relevant book from 1715, which I discovered while researching the existence of "ever-burning lamps": The History of Many Memorable Things Lost Which Were In Use Among the Ancients - https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6961227M/The_history_of_many...
I believe it does refer to Damascus steel, as well as many other lost Classical through Dark Ages inventions. It digresses into talking about bygone social customs in places, but many of the descriptions are excellent and illustrative.
You're welcome! It did take me some hours to get through most of it. The content is unique enough to make it worthwhile. I was especially intrigued not only by the excellent breakdown of "ever-burning lamps", which are a more or less real thing, but by a mention of ancient Greek water organs, a musical instrument which involved water inside some sort of tubes.
I believe it does refer to Damascus steel, as well as many other lost Classical through Dark Ages inventions. It digresses into talking about bygone social customs in places, but many of the descriptions are excellent and illustrative.