Description
Most of the northern European tribes were not naval powers, but there were still able seafarers to be found amongst them. Shipbuilding techniques were well understood, so while many vessels were small leather-skinned boats for inland and inshore use, bigger sea-going vessels were also made. Shipwrights used heavy planking for hulls, stitched together and then fastened to a wooden skeleton to create sturdy craft able to cope with Atlantic conditions. Julius Caesar was surprised at the quality of the enemy ships when his fleet clashed with the Veneti from modern-day Brittany. The Veneti vessels had flat bottoms to cope with shallows, but were also of heavy oak construction to cope with rough seas. This made them tough opposition for Roman galleys, and capable of shrugging off a ramming attack. Caesar said that the enemy ships "...were constructed of planks a foot in breadth, fastened by iron spikes the thickness of a man's thumb; the anchors were secured fast by iron chains instead of cables”. When the Romans were forced to board, they faced fearsome warriors used to close-quarters fighting at sea.
The longsword was a weapon of high worth and status within the Celtic community. A warrior had to prove himself in battle many times before he was permitted to wield one. The two-handed longsword was first developed during the 8th century BC, but fell from favour before re-emerging around 450BC. It is possible that Celtic ironwork was significantly behind that of the Romans: apparently, the Gallic longswords used at the disastrous Battle of Telamon in 225BC bent very easily and had to be straightened against the ground. On the other hand, since Celtic ironworking was several centuries old, some believe that Roman accounts of this practice mistook a ritual to 'decommission' defeated, dishonoured or damaged weapons.
