Out of curiosity, what is it?
There is one metal rod as in the photo per cylinder bank, you can see them when removing the freeze plugs, they are about 3/16 '' in diameter and are fixed in the bottom of the block. Anti-corrosion electrodes maybe?
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I think they are reinforcements that support the sand cores during the casting process.
Yes it is possible, but there is only one per cylinder bank and on only one side of the cylinders
think it's a bracket mounting point what is used on other cars
What mounting point? It's all in the water chamber
bigger picture may help?
It crosses the whole block inside the water chamber
By observing more carefully to take the photos I noticed that there is not one but three per cylinder bank, we can see the ends on the gasket plan.
The lower end enters in a boss.
The hypothesis of reinforcement of the core in sand or of metal rods which served to position the core in the mold is perhaps the correct one, but I am not sure because the ends would have melted during the casting and we do not would see more trace on the gasket plan. It still seems to have been added after the foundry.
??????????
A quick googling shows mild steel melts between 1350-1530c (2462-2786f) and cast iron at 1204c (2200f), so they wouldn't have melted away. Maybe there was a flux coating on the wire so it would bond to the hot cast iron??
With the Clevelands reputation for core shift, perhaps there should have been more?
Perhaps, but when the cast iron is poured, it is at a temperature above its melting point so that it is very fluid and fills the mold well.
A specialist in cast iron foundry is required 
@simon posted:think it's a bracket mounting point what is used on other cars
My misunderstanding from your question.
Simon
Rene, if your e-mail handle indicates your car's build date and your car has its original block, that block should be a mid-1972, correct?
Exact, casting date 2F12 as we can see in the first photo, so June 12th 1972 if I was not mistaken.
