Falcata

The falcata is a type of sword typical of the pre-Roman Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal). The falcata was used to great effect by the armies of Carthage in their wars against Rome.

The term falcata is not ancient. It seems to have been coined by Fernando Fulgosio in 1872, on the model of the Latin expression ensis falcatus "sickle-shaped sword" (which, however, refers to the Harpe). He presumably went with falcata rather than falcatus because both the Portuguese and Spanish word for sword, espada, is feminine, although there are other presumable theories. The name caught on very quickly and is now firmly entrenched in the scholarly literature.

The falcata has a single-edged blade that pitches forward towards the point, the edge being concave near the hilt, but convex near the point. This shape distributes the weight in such a way that the falcata is capable of delivering a blow with the momentum of an axe, while maintaining the longer cutting edge of a sword. The grip is typically hook-shaped, the end often stylized in the shape of a horse or a bird. There is often a thin chain connecting the hooked butt of the Iberian with the hilt. Although usually a single-edged weapon, double-edged falcatas have been found.

The falcata was derived from the sickle-shaped knives of the Iron Age; that too explains their ritual uses. It is thought to have been introduced in the Iberian Peninsula by the Celts who introduced iron working there. There are several historians who believe that its origin is parallel to the Greek kopis and is not derived from it. Meanwhile, others believe the design was carried over from Greece via merchants and traders. It may also have been an Etruscan invention.

Roman armies in the Second Punic War and later, during the Conquest of Hispania, were surprised by the quality of these weapons, used by Iberian mercenaries and warriors. The overall quality of the falcata came not only from the shape, but also from the quality of the iron. Steel plates were buried in the ground for two to three years, corroding the weakened steel from them. The blade was made from three of this steel, joining them in a bloomery.

...
Wikipedia