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

Archaeologists 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 small amulet was carved out of sandstone
[Credit: Fornleifastofnun Íslands]

The site was discovered by a local who directed the archaeologists to the location. During the registration the archaeologists 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.

All the items recovered from the site were lying in loose soil on the ground. The site has yet to be fully explored
[Credit: Fornleifastofnun Íslands]

Iceland has no iron ore deposits, but the Viking settlers of Iceland produced iron from bogs
[Credit: Fornleifastofnun Íslands]

Whetstones are among the most common finds at archaeological sites
[Credit: Fornleifastofnun Íslands]

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.

Source: Iceland Magazine [October 13, 2018]