Israeli student uncovers rare Crusader sword while swimming near ancient port

A student in Israel has made a chance archaeological discovery linked to one of history’s most violent eras: the Crusades. The University of Haifa said in a release that one of its students “accidentally” discovered a Crusader-era sword off the coast of Dor, an ancient port in northern Israel. The sword, which dates to the 12th century, measures over three feet long,  Fox News reports.

University of Haifa student Shlomi Katzin was swimming near Dor when he “noticed a group of divers with metal detectors,” according to the translated release. Katzin, who studies maritime civilizations, suspected the group were antiquities thieves.

“Shlomi managed to drive them away from the area, and later during his swim, he spotted the sword protruding from the seabed and acted quickly,” the release said. “He informed Prof. Debbie Cvikel from the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa, who contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).”

Once the IAA approved the sword’s removal, it was transferred for analysis, including a CT scan at Elisha Medical Center.

“Swords were valuable objects, and therefore were carefully maintained and preserved.” Images of the artefact show it was heavily encrusted with shells over the centuries, though it still retains the unmistakable shape of a sword.

Prof. Debbie Cvikel of the University of Haifa described the object as an “extremely rare find that sheds light on the Crusader presence along the country’s coastline.”

She added, “Only a handful of similar swords from the Crusader period are known in the Land of Israel, and this discovery greatly contributes to our understanding of the use of maritime anchorages and the lives of warriors during this time,” according to the release.

Researchers at the University of Haifa used advanced imaging techniques to study the sword without damaging the ancient artefact.

Eyal Berkowitz, an imaging sciences expert at the university, said the methods were non-invasive. “Using CT, we were able to see what the human eye cannot — the internal structure of the sword and its precise physical condition — all through a non-invasive examination that preserved the integrity of this rare artifact for future generations,” he said.

Researchers also noted the sword’s symbolic significance. Sarah Lantus from the Department of Maritime Civilizations said swords represented “knights and chivalry, as well as of the Christian faith.”

“It was also one of the most common weapons used by Crusader knights, and their lives depended on them,” she said. “Swords were valuable objects — and therefore were carefully maintained and preserved.”

The Crusades were wars between Christian and Muslim forces between the 11th and 13th centuries.

By Vafa Guliyeva