12th century Crusader sword discovered "by chance" by student off coast of Israel, university says
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- A centuries-old Crusader sword was discovered by University of Haifa student Shlomi Katsin while swimming off Dor Beach, Israel, after he noticed divers he suspected of antiquities theft and found the sword protruding from the seafloor.
- The three-foot-long sword was recovered with special permission from the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwent CT scanning at a Haifa hospital, revealing it was a one-handed weapon likely used by a European Crusader warrior.
- The blade showed significant corrosion and a fracture, with much of its original iron eroded by time and sea conditions, but its preservation offers rare insights into Crusader life and maritime activities in the region.
- Experts at the University of Haifa emphasized the sword's rarity
