A student in Israel recently made a chance discovery tied to one of history's most violent eras: the Crusades.
The University of Haifa recently said in a release that one of its students "accidentally" discovered a Crusader-era sword off the coast of Dor, an ancient port in northern Israel.
The sword, which dates to the 12th century, measures over three feet long.
University of Haifa student Shlomi Katzin was swimming near Dor when he "noticed a group of divers with metal detectors," per the translated release.
Katzin, who studies maritime civilizations, suspected the group were antiquities thieves.
"Shlomi managed to drive them away from the area, and later during his swim, he spotted the sword protruding from the seabed and acted quickly," the release said.
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