Off the coast of Israel, a diver discovered a 900-year-old crusader sword
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, a diver discovered the sword at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in a natural bay near the port city of Haifa. Experts note that the ancient blade is "surprisingly well preserved", and believe that it belonged to a knight of the Crusades.
Although the 90-centimeter sword is completely covered with marine organisms, an attentive amateur diver named Shlomi Katsin still noticed its handle at a four-meter depth among ceramic debris and anchors.
Apparently, the sea currents shifted the sand that hid the artifact for almost a millennium. The man pulled the sword to the surface and reported the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
This shallow water has been studied by archaeologists for a long time, since even in the Bronze Age, it is believed that there was a ship parking here, and later the water area was used during the Crusades as a shelter from the storm.
According to Kobi Sharvit from the Department of Marine Archaeology of the IAA, the natural bay in which the sword was discovered served as a shelter for sailors, including crusaders, during a severe storm in the period from the 11th to the 13th century.
Despite the fact that the shape of the blade is vaguely guessed, Sharvit is sure that it dates back to the time of the Crusades.
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