Student 'accidentally' finds 'extremely rare' Crusader-era sword after chasing off suspected thieves

A student in Israel recently made a chance discovery tied to one of history's most violent eras: the Crusades.

The University of Haifa recently 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.

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University of Haifa student Shlomi Katzin was swimming near Dor when he "noticed a group of divers with metal detectors," per 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.

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"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 sent to Elisha Medical Center for a CT scan. 

Pictures of the artifact show it was heavily encrusted with shells over the centuries, though it still retains the unmistakable shape of a sword.

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Debbie Cvikel, a professor at the University of Haifa, called the artifact 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.

Eyal Berkowitz, imaging sciences expert at the University of Haifa, noted that his team's imaging techniques were non-invasive and kept the artifact intact.

"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.

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Researchers said the sword also carried symbolic significance.

In the release, Sarah Lantus from the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa noted that swords were symbols of "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," said Lantus. 

"Swords were valuable objects — and therefore were carefully maintained and preserved."

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

They began when Pope Urban II called to reclaim the Holy Land in 1095, with the First Crusade resulting in the siege of Jerusalem in 1099.

The discovery is the latest in a string of notable archaeological finds in the region.

In March, archaeologists announced that they had found a 2,100-year-old sling bullet with a sarcastic message aimed at enemy forces.

Also, last month, officials announced the discovery of a mysterious Christian artifact near the Sea of Galilee, not far from Jesus' ministry.