A scuba diver has found a meter-long  sword dating back to the Crusades among other ancient artifacts off the coast of Israel. Encrusted with stones and shells, the sword weighs around 5-6 kilogram, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The artifacts that include stone anchors, metal anchors and pottery fragments were apparently uncovered “by waves and undercurrents that had shifted the sand,” the independent Israeli governmental authority said.

Fearing they would stolen or lost under the seabed again, the amateur diver handed the sword and other artifacts he found on October 9 to the IAA.

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Its foot-long hilt and discovery just a few kilometers from Crusader fortress Atlit suggest it belonged to a Crusader from 900 years ago, Koby Sharvit, director of the IAA’s Marine Archaeology Unit, told CNN.

Nir Distelfeld, Inspector for the IAA’s Robbery Prevention Unit, said the sword was made of iron, but had been well preserved due to a deep layer of sand.

The natural coves dotting northern Israel’s coastline provided shelter for ancient ships, making the area rich in potential archaeological finds.

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But the sand movement makes findings “very elusive,” according to IAA.

Sharvit said the sword was probably a remnant of a shipwreck, or a Crusader landing party.

“It’s very strange to find just one artifact” from the Crusader period in the area given it was once home to settlements such as Dor and Atlit.

The IAA is hoping that winter storms will expose more artifacts over the next months, adding archaeologists will carry out further surveys in the area.

Meanwhile, the sword will be sent to the IAA labs to be cleaned, said Sharvit.

IAA Director-General Eli Escosido said they will ensure the sword is displayed to the public after it has been “cleaned and researched in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s laboratories.”