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 Iberians were a warlike collection of tribes and peoples, and this ensured their independence from both Carthage and Rome for many years. They supplied mercenaries to both sides, and were widely respected for their tactical skills and courage. Their use of the deadly falcata sword added to their reputation too. The Romans called the distinctive Iberian sword type the 'machaera Hispana' but these are now referred to as the 'falcata'. These were extremely sharp, slashing, single-edged weapons with curved back edges. The term single-edged is also slightly misleading, as the point was sharpened on the back edge as well as the front. The balance of the blade was towards the broad tip, making a blow from one of these extremely powerful. In the hands of a master, a falcata could easily dismember an opponent. The skills of Iberian metal workers added to the blade’s deadliness; their steel was generally of very high quality.
