#iberian

Title: Sword (Falcata)

Date: 5th–1st century BCE

Culture: Iberian

Medium: Iron alloy

Dimensions: H. 20 15/16 in. (53.2 cm); H. of blade 17 in. (43.2 cm); W. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm); D. 13/16 in. (2.1 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 0.7 oz. (473.4 g)

The falcata was a popular type of sword in the Iberian Peninsula from the fifth to the first century B.C. Closely related in form to slashing weapons found in Greece, it is distinguished by the fact that its blade is double-edged for about half of its length, whereas Greek specimens normally have a single cutting edge.

Although its old patina was removed and an inaccurate modern wood grip was added sometime before it was acquired, The Metropolitan Museum's falcata occupies an important place among the examples known to survive because of the otherwise fine state of preservation of its blade, which is structurally intact and only superficially corroded.

In a discovery straight out of legend, a young wildlife photographer in southern Spain has captured jaw-dropping footage of a pure white Iberian lynx — the first ever recorded sighting of its kind. The beautiful big cat was filmed on October 22 in the mountains of Andalusia’s Jaén province by 29-year-old photographer Ángel Hidalgo. A young wildlife photographer in Spain has captured jaw-dropping…

The object, which was originally excavated in 1977, dates back to the Copper Age — and it’s over 4,000 years old. University of BarcelonaThe object made of hippopotamus ivory, the purpose of which is still unclear. Researchers have identified the oldest hippopotamus ivory object ever found in the Iberian Peninsula, a 4,000-year-old object that provides new details about long-distance trade…