Amazing discovery: He snorkeled and discovered a 900-year-old sword • Watch

October 18, 2021   

Shlomi Katzin, a resident of Atlit, was snorkeling in the Carmel Beach area last Saturday. During the dive, he was surprised to spot ancient items on the seabed, which were apparently exposed as a result of the action of the waves and currents that carried the sand. At the site, he saw ancient stone anchors, anchors made of iron, fragments of pottery, and an impressive sword, whose blade is about 1 meter long and whose handle is about 30 centimeters long. Fearing that the findings would be stolen or covered in sand again due to the activity of sea currents, the officer diver took the sword with him and left the sea. He discovered exemplary citizenship, located the phone number of the supervisor of the Robbery Prevention Unit in the North, and reported it to the Antiquities Authority. The sword was handed over to the State Treasures, and Officer received a certificate of his good citizenship. Nir Distelfeld, Supervisor of the Robbery Prevention Unit at the Antiquities Authority: "The sword, which was preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and appears to have belonged to a Crusader knight. It was found covered in a naval bracelet, but it appears to be made of iron. It is exciting to come across such a personal object, which takes you back 900 years in time, to another era, of knights, armor and swords." "On the Carmel Coast there are many natural bays that could have served as hiding places for ancient ships during a storm, and even larger bays, around which entire settlements and ancient port cities developed, such as Dor and Atlit," explains Kobi Sharvit, director of the Maritime Archaeology Unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority. "These conditions attracted merchant ships throughout all periods, and these left behind many archaeological traces. The recently found sword is just one of them." [Gallery]

Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority

The site where the anchors and sword were discovered has been monitored by the Israel Antiquities Authority since June, after receiving reports of its initial discovery from citizens Boaz Langford and Rafael Bahloul. The finds at the site are revealed and covered up according to the movement of the sands, and therefore, they are very elusive. "Discovery of ancient finds by swimmers and free divers is a phenomenon that has been growing in recent years, with the expansion of these sports," says Sharvit. "Underwater surveying is dynamic. Every storm - even a small one - moves the sand and exposes areas on the seabed, and at the same time, covers other areas." Hence the great importance of reporting the discovery of the finds, which we always strive to document in situ in order to maximize the archaeological information. The archaeological finds reported from the site indicate that the place served as a small, temporary natural anchorage for ships that found shelter there. "The identification of the uncovered findings indicates that the anchorage was already used in the Late Bronze Age - 4,000 years ago, and now, the finding of the sword may indicate that the natural anchorage was also used during the Crusader period, about 900 years ago.""