HAIFA, ISRAEL—ZME Science reports that Shlomi Katzin of the University of Haifa discovered a three-foot-long Crusader-era sword encrusted with shells and sand while swimming in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel’s Dor Beach. The Israel Antiquities Authority soon granted permission to recover the object from the seabed and transfer it to the University of Haifa. A CT scan at a nearby hospital revealed that the sword’s iron blade is severely corroded, yet enough of it survives to indicate that it was likely forged in Europe and belonged to a Frankish knight. “Swords were precious objects, and therefore were carefully cared for and preserved,” said Sára Lantos of the University of Haifa. “In the Middle Ages, the sword became a symbol of the knights and knighthoods, as well as a symbol of the Christian faith,” she added. Katzin discovered a similar sword in the same area while scuba diving in 2021. The discovery of two such artifacts near Dor Beach has led archaeologists to conduct a survey of the sea floor in the area. For more, go to "Reimagining the Crusades."
