Sharp-eyed diver recovers crusader sword from Israel seabed

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A sword, believed to have belonged to a crusader who sailed to the Holy Land almost a millennium ago, has been recovered from the Mediterranean seabed thanks to an eagle-eyed amateur diver, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Monday.

Though encrusted with marine organisms, the metre-long blade, hilt and handle were distinctive enough to notice after undercurrents apparently shifted sands that had concealed it.

The location, a natural cove near the port city of Haifa, suggested it had served as a shelter for seafarers, said Kobi Sharvit, director of the authority’s marine archaeology unit.

“These conditions have attracted merchant ships down the ages, leaving behind rich archaeological finds,” he said.