A scuba diver in northern Israel has uncovered a rare and perfectly preserved 900-year-old sword that most likely belonged to a Crusader knight.
Shlomi Katzin, a resident of the town of Atlit near the city of Haifa, made the incredible discovery during a dive off the Carmel coast last weekend. He immediately reported it to the Israel Antiquities Authority, as required by Israeli law, and thereafter the sword was handed over to the National Treasures Department. Katzin received a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship.
Diver Shlomi Katzin with the sword. (Nir Disteleld, Israel Antiquities Authority)
The Media Line spoke to Kobi Sharvit, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Marine Archaeology Unit, about the sword, as well as what kinds of archaeological treasures lie beneath the sands of the Carmel coast.