In October 2021, diver Shlomi Katzin was exploring the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. On the seafloor, he discovered a rare treasure—a 900-year-old sword!
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Archaeologist Jacob Sharvit holds a 900-year-old sword found in the Mediterranean Sea.
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN
The sword likely belonged to a knight who fought in a series of religious wars between 1095 and 1291 called the Crusades, explains archaeologist Jacob Sharvit. The cove where Katzin found the sword had been used to shelter ships. Once the iron sword sank, the warm temperature of the seawater helped preserve it. The sword rusted, and marine life, shells, and stones stuck to it.
“These swords were of great value,” says Sharvit, “and not everyone could carry such a sword.” Waving the heavy weapon on a battlefield for hours would have required a lot of strength and skill.
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