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A diver discovered this sword on the seabed near the city of Haifa
Photo: Shlomi Katzin / Israel Antiquities Authority
An Israeli amateur diver discovered a 900 year old crusader sword in the Mediterranean.
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced.
The man came across the artifact on the seabed off the coast south of the port city of Haifa.
The sword has a blade about one meter long and a handle that is 30 centimeters long.
"Put back in another time"
"The sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and apparently belonged to a crusader," said Nir Distelfeld of the Antiquities Authority.
The agency is responsible for enforcing the law for the protection of Israeli antiquities and archaeological finds.
The sword is encrusted with marine organisms, but apparently made of iron.
"It's exciting to come across such a personal item that takes you 900 years back in time, with knights, armor and swords," said Distelfeld, who works as an inspector at the Antiquities Authority.
There is a plausible explanation for the fact that the sword appeared in that same stretch of coast: With its natural bays, this area served ancient ships as a refuge in storms, according to the authority's letter.
According to this, historical coastal cities emerged in larger bays.
“These conditions have drawn merchant ships over the centuries, leaving behind rich archaeological finds.
The recently recovered sword is just one of those finds, ”said Kobi Sharvit, director of the agency's marine archeology department.
The sea floor swallows the treasures
At the place where the sword was found, indications could be found that the place was already used as an anchorage 4,000 years ago.
Nevertheless, historical finds are also rare at this point.
According to the authority, this has mainly to do with the movement of the waves: Objects repeatedly emerged from the sand, but after a short time they disappear again in the seabed.
The diver discovered the sword on Saturday and took it with him, according to his own statement out of concern that it could be stolen or covered by sand again.
Then he handed it over to the authorities.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, the diver discovered other remains besides the sword, including ceramic fragments and a metal anchor.
vki / dpa