A centuries-old Crusader sword was discovered off the coast of Haifa, Israel, by a student from the University of Haifa.

Shlomi Katsin found the three-foot-long blade protruding from the seafloor near Dor Beach and reported it to university experts, who alerted the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The sword was recovered for preservation and analyzed using a CT scan at a local hospital, revealing it was a one-handed weapon likely used by a European Crusader.

Researchers said the find is rare and offers valuable insight into the lives of medieval knights in the region, CBS News has reported.

The Crusades, which lasted from 1095 to 1291, were a series of religious wars fought across parts of the eastern Mediterranean.