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Diver Discovers 900-Year-Old Sword Dating to the Crusades
The New York Times ^ | 18 Oct 2021 | Eduardo Medina

Posted on 10/19/2021 5:08:41 AM PDT by Theoria

The sword, recovered off the coast of Israel, most likely belonged to a knight who fell into the sea or lost the weapon in battle, experts said.

Shlomi Katzin attached a GoPro camera to his forehead, slipped on his diving fins and jumped into the waters off the Carmel coast of Israel, eager to go exploring.

On the sandy floor of the Mediterranean Sea, he found a sword. Archaeologists would later determine that it was about 900 years old. It weighed four pounds, measured about four feet long and originated from the Third Crusade, experts said.

“Oh yes, he was surprised and happy,” said Jacob Sharvit, the director of the marine archaeology unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Mr. Katzin said he would give the sword to Mr. Sharvit’s agency, but he wanted just one thing: a photo with the shell-encrusted weapon.

The recent discovery was welcomed in a country that takes immense pride in its history and has a law requiring that any artifacts found must be returned to the nation.

The sword was among several artifacts discovered by Mr. Katzin, who declined to be interviewed because he said he did not want the discovery to be about him. He also found stone anchors and pottery fragments that date back hundreds of years. But nothing was more impressive than the sword, which Mr. Sharvit described as “extremely rare.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: atlit; carmel; crusades; eduardomedina; godsgravesglyphs; gopro; israel; jacobsharvit; mediterraneansea; middleages; shlomikatzin; sword
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To: ccmay

Yep. Christians trying to visit the “Holy Lands” did not fare well.

There are a lot of “legends” and their is a lot of poorly recorded history of that period. It had it’s own corruption.

Pope Clement the 5th and Philip the “fair” of France were both Evil.


41 posted on 10/19/2021 6:17:53 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: one guy in new jersey

My grandchildren would say...Who the hell is kemosabe? LOL


42 posted on 10/19/2021 6:18:42 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: JerseyDvl

It’s 4 feet long and covered with encrustations. No way it’s only 4 pounds.


43 posted on 10/19/2021 6:24:05 AM PDT by al_c (Democrats: Party over Common Sense)
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To: Theoria

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.


44 posted on 10/19/2021 6:25:20 AM PDT by Natty Bumppo@frontier.net (We are the dangerous ones, who stand between all we love and a more dangerous world.)
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To: Theoria
When I think of the 3rd crusade I think of the battle to retake Jaffa from Saladin. Richard the Lionhearted took a small force there by sea hoping to reinforce the fort but when he arrived Saladin's banners were already flying over the city. Richard and his men dispaired until one guy ran out on the battlements and leaped into the sea. The knights fished him out and it turned out he was a priest that was desperate to tell Richard that a small force of Christian knights was still holding out in the hear of the fortress.

Supposedly Richard stood up, said a few stirring words, and leaped off the ship to storm the shore alone and without armor. His stunned men all quickly grabbed a sword and jumped in after him and somehow they defeated a far larger muslim force and retook the city. Crazy.

I don't know if Richard was a good king (actually I do, he wasn't) but he was one hell of a battle commander. Ridiculous reading what this dude could do on a battlefield.

45 posted on 10/19/2021 6:31:13 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: Openurmind
“From the length of the handle I would think that it was not a two-handed weapon.

There is such a thing as a "bastard" sword, or hand and a half sword.

https://www.coldsteel.com/hand-and-a-half-sword/

46 posted on 10/19/2021 6:34:48 AM PDT by MikeSteelBe (The South will be in the right in the next war of Northern aggression.)
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To: pepsi_junkie

Thanks for the history. Crazy what people will do in certain situations. Esprit de corps is a powerful thing.


47 posted on 10/19/2021 6:36:14 AM PDT by Theoria
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To: rlmorel

“Well, I know it for a fact-I saw it in a movie once! “

Try reading history books, it is better for your mind.


48 posted on 10/19/2021 6:37:44 AM PDT by DEPcom (Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules)
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To: ByteMercenary; DEPcom

Forensic anthropologists examined the bones in recently uncovered mass graves of the battle of Towton 1461 War of the Roses. Close examination of the recovered skeltons indicates that limbs were severed as well as battle axe wounds that must have penetrated steel helmets. One whole skeleton, Number 16, indicted a brawny broad shouldered man with heavy bones and muscles capable of inflicting such damage.

Watch this fascinating documentary of the discovery and findings.

https://youtu.be/OKg0eE3JjME


49 posted on 10/19/2021 6:38:24 AM PDT by Covenantor (We are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and fools who can not govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Covenantor

“Watch this fascinating documentary of the discovery and findings.”

Thanks


50 posted on 10/19/2021 6:41:37 AM PDT by DEPcom (Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules)
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To: Theoria

The third crusade never reached Palestine. It sacked Constantinople.


51 posted on 10/19/2021 6:42:38 AM PDT by Fai Mao (I don't think we have enough telephone poles.)
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To: DEPcom

You do know that was a joke, right?

(Except for the part about the moose biting my sister)


52 posted on 10/19/2021 6:52:05 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists are The Droplet of Sewage in a gallon of ultra-pure clean water.)
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To: MikeSteelBe

That quote was not mine, I quoted another user. And I agree that there are indeed two handed Swords. A lot of Asian Swords were designed to be used two handed.

But I also agree with who I quoted with that, the handle of this one is too short to be used with both hands on the handle. But that doesn’t keep one from adding a second hand around the base of the blade at the hilt for extra power. :)


53 posted on 10/19/2021 6:55:01 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

five is right out


54 posted on 10/19/2021 6:56:09 AM PDT by joe fonebone (bush league chamber of commerce worshiping republiCAN'Ts are the enemy)
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To: Openurmind

Thanks. I’ll have to try that.

I’m a writer and research is important, sometimes even from the legacy media (if for nothing else than citation of their bias).


55 posted on 10/19/2021 7:13:37 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: JerseyDvl

Exactly. I’m sure an African Swallow could carry it.


56 posted on 10/19/2021 7:23:32 AM PDT by EvilCapitalist (Pets are no substitute for children.)
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To: Theoria

When they found the remains of some of the victims from Pompey after the mt.vesuvius eruption they said you could tell one of the bodies was a roman soldier because the arm bones in his right arm were bigger. It came from continuous use of a sword.
I’m sure men throughout history who were trained to fight
with swords and other handheld weapons had bigger , stronger sword arms.


57 posted on 10/19/2021 7:32:55 AM PDT by VicVanleeuwenhoek
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To: one guy in new jersey

“See post #5.”

“Missed it by that much.”


58 posted on 10/19/2021 8:11:39 AM PDT by moovova (I'm dismayed that most of the world hates me for being non-vaxxed. Honest. No, really.)
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To: ByteMercenary

From a favorite movie a sword like this one in practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6ZjObCG90


59 posted on 10/19/2021 8:34:05 AM PDT by 100American (Knowledge is knowing how, Wisdom is knowing when)
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To: moovova
Could you imagine swinging that thing...even without the crustiness? I’d throw my shoulder out.

If it weighs four pounds with the encrustation it shouldn't have been too hard to swing.

60 posted on 10/19/2021 9:12:17 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Militia to the border! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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