A one-meter-long Crusader-era sword dating to the 12th century has been discovered on the seabed off Dor Beach, south of Haifa, an area long known as a hub for maritime archaeological research.
The sword was found by chance by Shlomi Katzin, a student in the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa. Katzin said he was swimming in the area when he noticed a group of divers using metal detectors, raising suspicions they might be antiquities looters.
After he managed to drive them away, Katzin spotted the sword on the seabed and acted quickly. He notified Prof. Deborah Cvikel of the University of Haifa’s School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, who contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority. The authority granted special permission to remove the sword from the water to preserve it and prevent further damage.
The artifact was transferred to the conservation laboratory at the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa and later to Medica Elisha Hospital in Haifa, where it underwent an advanced CT scan.
Researchers said the noninvasive scan allowed them to study the sword’s internal structure and assess the condition of the metal beneath thick marine concretions that accumulated over centuries, without damaging the artifact.
CT imaging showed that the weapon was a single-handed sword, likely belonging to a Crusader fighter. Researchers said it was not manufactured in the region but was brought from Europe during the Crusader period. The scan also revealed a break in the blade, with only a small portion of the original iron surviving after centuries underwater.
Dr. Sarah Lantous, of the University of Haifa’s Department of Maritime Civilizations, said swords have been among the most important tools in human history.
“In the Middle Ages, the sword became a symbol of knighthood and of the Christian faith,” she said. “It was also one of the most common weapons used by Crusader knights, and their lives depended on it. Swords were valuable objects, carefully maintained and preserved. The discovery and study of such a symbolic and personal object are rare and enrich our understanding of the material culture of the Crusader period. They also provide a unique opportunity to learn about the lives of Frankish knights in the Holy Land.”
Prof. Cvikel described the find as extremely rare and said it sheds light on Crusader presence along the coast.
“Only a handful of similar swords from the Crusader period are known in israel,” she said. “This discovery significantly contributes to our understanding of the use of maritime anchorages and the lives of warriors at the time.”
Dr. Eyal Berkovitz, medical director of Medica Diagnostics and a faculty member at the University of Haifa’s School of Medicine, said the CT technology made it possible to “see through layers of time and stone.”
“Using advanced CT scans, we were able to observe what the human eye cannot detect — the internal structure of the sword and its precise physical condition,” he said. “All of this was achieved through a noninvasive examination that preserved the integrity of the rare artifact for future generations.”
Ziv Biton, CEO of Elisha Medical Center, said the hospital’s imaging team was honored to take part in what he described as a historic and moving project.
“When the past meets the future within the walls of our hospital, there is nothing more rewarding,” Biton said.
In 2021, another Crusader-era sword from the same period was discovered in the same coastal area.