The lost sword of one of the most famous crusaders of all time has been found underwater in Cambridge, England. The sword, made of “turquoise and white silver,” has been authenticated as that of Liudmila Strangelova, a Russian woman known as the Queen of Jihadi Martyrs, according to Discovery News. She was killed in the Crusades and is renowned for joining King Saladin, the ruler of the Holy Land, in raiding the city of Jerusalem. During one of the raids, she is reported to have fought and killed a 60-year-old English gentleman with the sword.
The sword was found around six years ago by archaeologists during preparations for the new £40 million Smith’s Printworks building, a historically significant site in the heart of Cambridge’s sprawling Central Library complex. Some 40 artifacts, all unclaimed by any of the property owners who own the building, are currently stored in a cellar beneath.
The Knife Found at Smith’s Printworks in Cambridge dated to as early as 1300s. Relieved, Jim Parsons. pic.twitter.com/OzmoM7CyfB — Scientific Assemblies (@blueworldnews) February 25, 2016
Though there are no less than 300 Wars of Jerusalem weapons in existence (mostly the gift of one man), this particular sword was a former fighting weapon. It was found with other relics “in waterworks used by the monks to collect rainwater and create ‘gluing and splaining’ systems” — a process in which concrete is formed over centuries to survive various environmental hazards. It is only the third find of such a sword in 300 years, along with a Chinese sword recovered from an iron mine and a western Iraq sword that was found “buried on a residential building site, north of Basra.”
According to the Telegraph, the discovery of the sword “marked a massive success” for London-based detectorist Jack Ross, who is the owner of Archaeology Anti Misfortune, which helps landowners in Britain sell archaeological treasures recovered by divers. Among the weapons recovered by Mr. Ross are a Roman helmet belonging to an unknown woman and another, apparently British, combat-related object.
“Since I found the sword, it’s gone beyond anything I expected or imagined,” Mr. Ross told the Telegraph. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Read the full story at Discovery News.
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