Falcata sword

CE/DA00859. Iron falcata sword, with a very deteriorated hilt. The main part is missing, although it can be concluded by the existing base that it was in the shape of an animal`s head (perhaps a horse). The end was found in a very deteriorated state and displays grooves on its blade.

The falcata, the most well-known Iberian weapon, is a short saber, carried out by means of three plates, of which the central one was the widest and the side ones were the thinnest; the central blade forms part of the hilt, resulting in a single piece. This method reinforces the weakest point of a sword which is the union of the blade and the hilt. At the same time, the hilt is the part which is most affected by corrosion, as it only had one blade.