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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: Tennessee Nana; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Thanks Tennessee Nana.

61 posted on 10/19/2021 9:23:59 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Theoria; SunkenCiv

Okay, so now he’s the real King of England, right?.....................


62 posted on 10/19/2021 9:25:50 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Sacajaweau

I think they were using Titanium during the 3rd Crusade?


63 posted on 10/19/2021 9:28:47 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: Red Badger
Strange divers, swimmin' in seas, discoverin' swords, is no basis for a system of government...

64 posted on 10/19/2021 9:32:40 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Theoria

Why is he wearing a mask? The sword has barnacles already!


65 posted on 10/19/2021 10:00:10 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
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66 posted on 10/19/2021 10:09:57 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Texas Fossil

Nice vid, looks like other wreckage from other vessels of different eras nearby.


67 posted on 10/19/2021 10:11:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Very interesting find. Would love to see the sword without the crust on it.

That is an amazing part of the world. So much important history.


68 posted on 10/19/2021 10:56:17 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: Texas Fossil
I quite agree, and this isn't even from deep water, there must be loads of stuff down below the anoxia layer.

69 posted on 10/19/2021 11:45:42 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

below the anoxia layer?

Yes and it is often well preserved.


70 posted on 10/19/2021 3:08:05 PM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: ByteMercenary

The best warriors could could wield their sword with either hand.

A knight that could do that would be scary as hell.


71 posted on 10/19/2021 3:26:04 PM PDT by Ban Draoi Marbh Draoi ( Gen. 12:3: a warning to all anti-semites)
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The Shipwrecks keyword, sorted:

72 posted on 10/19/2021 5:35:44 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Theoria

That only weighs 4 pounds? Maybe most of the metal has corroded away and it’s more barnacle than metal at this point?


73 posted on 10/20/2021 6:01:39 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Probably only barnacles. The fact that it looks mostly intact via size is surprising. Another article said it was found about 150m off the coast of the island and around 15ft feet deep. Really cool.


74 posted on 10/20/2021 6:05:09 AM PDT by Theoria
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To: ByteMercenary
Still at approx 4 pounds it would take a real man to continue to swing it effectively if a battle lasted more than a few hours.

The Romans got around that by replacing their front rank every 10 minutes or so, on command, by the next rank behind them. Those people had their act together. They always had a fresh guy facing a tired enemy.

A Hollywood version

(IIRC, their short swords weighed about two pounds. To get an idea of the effort, try swinging an electric iron around for 10 minutes - more exciting if you have an opponent trying to kill you.)

75 posted on 10/20/2021 10:34:14 AM PDT by Oatka
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To: ByteMercenary
it would take a real man to continue to swing it effectively if a battle lasted more than a few hours.

If you want to try an endurance experiment, put on some boxing gloves and shadow punch. Your arms tire quickly.

76 posted on 10/20/2021 10:36:04 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
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To: Theoria; SunkenCiv

That thing is huge, it must be very heavy and hard to swing at somebody.


77 posted on 10/20/2021 10:59:59 AM PDT by rdl6989 ( )
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To: Openurmind

:-) thought the same.


78 posted on 10/20/2021 11:01:50 AM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a “conspiracy theory” in 2020 is now fact. 🙏🏻 Ps 33:12 )
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To: rdl6989

The length means, once it’s swung, the receiving party goes down. :^)


79 posted on 10/21/2021 9:00:45 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Fai Mao

The Fourth Crusade was the one where Constantinople got sacked, not the Third.


80 posted on 10/22/2021 8:28:28 PM PDT by Jacob Kell (Saint Pinochet, deliver us from communists. Send unto us your avenging angels with rotary wings.)
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