Thor's hammer found in 1,000-year-old Viking treasure

An artifact suspected to be Thor's hammer has just appeared among extremely valuable Viking treasures, causing a stir among archaeologists and the mythology enthusiast community.

A 1,000-year-old Viking treasure trove has been found by metal detectorist Arjen Spießwinkel in northern Germany near Haithabu. The treasure trove consists of around 200 artifacts including Arabic coins, gold bars, a pendant that could be a cross or an unfinished Thor's hammer. Photo: ALSH.

Birte Anspach, a spokeswoman for the Schleswig-Holstein State Archaeological Office, said that if the pendant depicts a cross, "it could be an early sign of Christianization" in the area. Photo: ALSH.

The area where the Viking treasure was found was an important maritime trade centre during the Viking Age (793-1066). Christianity began to spread widely in Haithabu when Saint Ansgar arrived there in the 9th century. Photo: ALSH.

Over the next several generations, many people around Haithabu embraced Christianity after turning their backs on the old gods. Archaeologists have found symbols of this religion in tombs in Haithabu from that time. Photo: National Museum of Denmark.

So the newly found pendant may be one of the few that belonged to an early Christian. Photo: Public Domain.

The eyelet on the pendant “is located on the longer part of the ‘cross’. So when worn, the pendant will hang upside down,” said spokesperson Anspach. Photo: Ancient-origins.

Researchers say the pendant could also be an unfinished Thor's hammer. Pendants of this type symbolized allegiance to the ancient Norse gods as Christianity began to spread to Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. Photo: vikingsonsofodin.

In Norse mythology, Thor's hammer is called Mjölnir. It was crafted by the dwarves for the gods of Valhalla and was later used by Thor in his battle against the giants. Photo: X/@DigitalLandGury.

According to researchers, the newly discovered Viking treasure trove using a metal detector could provide important insights into Vikings, including their trade, cultural exchange and religious activities. Photo: Pinterest.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Revealing lost civilizations through archaeological remains.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/tim-thay-bua-than-thor-trong-kho-bau-viking-1000-nam-post1548305.html