Nail from 'Christ's crucifixion time' found

London, Mar 2 (ANI): Archaeologists have discovered a four-inch long nail dating from the time of Christ's crucifixion at a fort believed to have once been a stronghold of the Knights Templar.

The Roman relic, stored in an ornate box, is of the type used in thousands of crucifixions - but it is special, reports The Telegraph.

It was buried with three skeletons and three swords, including one with the religious order's cross on its blade, on the tiny island of Ilheu de Pontinha, off Madeira.

Pontinha was thought to have been held by the Knights Templar, the religious order that was part of the Christian forces which occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century.

Bryn Walters, an archaeologist, said the iron nail's in remarkable condition.

"It dates from the first to second centuries," he told the Daily Mirror.

Christopher Macklin of the Knights Templar of Britannia said the discovery was "momentous".

The expert believes the original Knights Templar thought it was a genuine artefact from Christ's crucifixion. (ANI)