Archeology

Archaeologists discover Thor's Hammer amulet at previously unexplored site in S. Iceland

By Staff

Thor's Hammer The small amulet was carved out of sandstone. Photo/Fornleifastofnun Íslands

Buckle All the items recovered from the site were lying in loose soil on the ground. The site has yet to be fully explored. Photo/Fornleifastofnun Íslands

Iron Pick Iceland has no iron ore deposits, but the Viking settlers of Iceland produced iron from bogs. Photo/Fornleifastofnun Íslands

Whetstone Whetstones are among the most common finds at archeological sites. Photo/Fornleifastofnun Íslands

Most major archeological finds in Iceland in recent years have come as complete accidents, or during construction work. The discovery of a large Viking longhouse in downtown Reykjavík in the summer of 2015, a large burial site in North Iceland in the summer of 2017, and the discovery of a Viking sword by hunters in the summer of 2016 come to mind.

Read more: Archaeologists in N. Iceland discover Viking age chief buried in ship with his sword and dog

Read more: News report: The Viking Age settlement that is emerging in downtown Reykjavík

The same applies to the latest archeological find dating back to the Viking Age. Archeologists who were registering sites in Þjórsárdalur valley in South Iceland last week found four items which have not been dated yet, but which are most likely from the first centuries of the settlement of Iceland. The items were found in a previously unexplored and unknown farmstead.

The site was discovered by a local who directed the archeologists to the location. During the registration the archeologists found four objects lying in the surface soil: A whet, an iron pick, a buckle and a small stone amulet in the shape of Thor's Hammer.

The find is particularly important because this is the first Thor's Hammer carved out of stone to be found in Iceland. The item, which is believed to have been an amulet, worn around the neck, is carved out of sandstone. The items will now be analyzed, hopefully shedding further information about their age and origins.

Follow up: Archaeological find in Þjórsárdalur: Viking Age farm destroyed by 1104 Hekla eruption