The Falcata was an Iberian curved sword, and was adopted by both Carthaginians and Romans in the 300sB.C.E. since it was a fine mixture of both sword and axe. It could even pierce through shields and helmets. The weapon was constructed of three layers of iron, the two outward layers were hard, the inner one was malleable. The Iberians would test the sword's malleability by putting the middle of the weapon over the head and bending it into a U by one hand on hilt and other grabbing the tip at the same time. The sword smith would then release it and if it recovered its original shape then it was a good falcata ready for export to the Italians and North Africans.

The word falcata comes from the Latin, I which means "a curved shape" The weapon, with the tip pointing outwards not inwards and the edge sharpened from the middle layer protruding out between the two outer layers, was curved, looking almost like a saber. While it tempting to think that this weapon is related to the Thracian Kopis there is no proof it is.

The Romans by the Second Punic War had abandoned the falcata, and replaced it with the gladius hispanius, a straight short sword, that could thrust and cut as well.

To see a picture of a real falcata go to: http://www.kah-bonn.de/pr/iberere.htm. It is 3.8 Mb download.