Viking Age Thor’s Hammer Found in Iceland

Photo: Fornleifastofnun Íslands.

Via icelandreview.com by Jelena Ćirić

A newly-uncovered Viking Age farmstead in the Icelandic highlands has yielded a unique Thor’s hammer pendant, among other artefacts dating back over 900 years. RÚV reported that a Thor’s hammer carved from sandstone was found last week at the farmstead, which is located in Þjórsárdalur valley and archaeologists have named Bergsstaðir. Only one other such hammer has been found in Iceland. No other stone Thor’s hammers like them have been found anywhere else in the world.

Bergur Þór Björnsson, a local resident, is to thank for the discovery. Bergur’s great grandfather discovered the last of 20 known Viking era farms in the area in 1920. “I just thought it was quite far between the ruins here and started to search just for fun,” he said about the discovery.


Archaeologists have since uncovered ash and burnt bones at the site, as well as artefacts such as a whetstone and a soapstone pot. The most recent discovery is waste from ironwork, indicating metal forgery was likely carried out on the farmstead.

The found artefacts have been transported to Reykjavík for research, and it seems clear there is much more to be discovered at the site.

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