A scuba diver has found a 900-year-old Crusader sword with a three-foot blade off the coast of Israel. The amateur diver spotted the sword and other ancient artifacts on the seabed off northern Israel. He was diving when he spotted the sword, which boasts a foot-long hilt, along with stone anchors, metal anchors and pottery fragments.
Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP
The diver took the sword up to the surface so it wouldn’t be stolen or covered up again, before handing it in to the IAA. The sword was found 200 meters (656 feet) from the shore, at a depth of four meters (13 feet). It`s size and shape suggest it belonged to a Crusader, as does the fact that it was found just a few kilometers from Atlit castle, a Crusader fortress. Dating from 1096 to the late 13th century, the Crusades were a set of military expeditions by Western European Christians that aimed to retake the Holy Land in the Middle East after centuries of Muslim wars of expansion.
Inspector for the IAA’s Robbery Prevention Unit, said the sword is a rare find that has been preserved in perfect condition.”It was found encrusted with marine organisms, but is apparently made of iron,”
Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP
Distelfeld said in the statement.”It is exciting to encounter such a personal object, taking you 900 years back in time to a different era, with knights, armor and swords.”
The sword will be cleaned of encrusted stones and shells. It current weighs is around 5-6 kilograms (11-13 pounds) due to the incrustation of stones and shells, but the sword itself probably weighs 1-2 kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds).