A
sword believed to have belonged to a crusader knight about 900 years
ago has been found by an amateur diver off Israel's northern coast.
The one-metre blade (3.3ft) blade was discovered by Shlomi Katzin and handed over to the authorities.
It is thought the sword, which is encrusted with marine organisms, resurfaced after the shifting of sands.
The Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) said that once cleaned and analysed it would be put on public display.
"The
sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful
and rare find and evidently belonged to a crusader knight," said IAA's
Robbery Prevention Unit Inspector Nir Distelfeld.
"It
is exciting to encounter such a personal object, taking you 900 years
back in time to a different era, with knights, armour and swords."
Kobi
Sharvit, who heads the IAA's Marine Archaeology Unit, said the Carmel
coast, where the blade was found, provided shelter for ships during
storms throughout centuries of shipping activity along the coast.
"These conditions have attracted merchant ships down the ages, leaving behind rich archaeological finds," he said.
Crusaders
fought in a series of religious wars known as the Crusades, which were
sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period.
The
most commonly known of the Crusades were campaigns in the eastern
Mediterranean aimed at recovering the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
