The Israeli Antiquities Authority have unveiled a remarkable 700-year-old hand grenade as part of a showcase of artifacts recovered from the sea.
Archaeologists believe that the acorn-shaped clay device was akin to a Molotov cocktail, containing flammable liquid which could be ignited via a protruding fuse.
According to researchers, these weapons would have proven to be particularly useful in Crusader-era naval battles waged between wooden ships.
However not everyone is convinced that the object had a weaponized purpose as some experts say that the 'grenade' was actually a perfume container.
This interpretation is quite the contrast from visions of the object being hurled between warring ships during battle, but it does appear to have some merit, given the seemingly decorative nature of the 'grenade.'
One can only imagine similar debates erupting over modern devices when they are found by future generations in the distant future.
Other relics revealed by the Antiquities Authority are a knife head believed to be over 3,500 years old and artifacts from the 11th century that had been lost to the sea.
Source: Daily Mail