The 1000 -year -old Viking Age Treasury has a pendant that can be a cross or Thor hammer
A metal detector in Germany discovered a Viking age treasure which includes around 200 wealth in the European world, including Arab parts, ingots and a pendant that can be a cross or a The Thor hammer.
If the pendant is a cross, it is “perhaps an early sign of the beginning of Christianization” in the region, Birte AnspachA spokesperson for the archaeological office of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, told Live Science in an email.
The treasure was found in northern Germany near Haithabu, an important maritime shopping center during the Viking age (AD 793 to 1066). Christianity began to spread in Haithabu when Saint-Ansgar traveled there in the ninth century.
“However, this was not the case that Ansgar came – and suddenly, everyone diverted himself from the old gods and followed the Christian faith,” said Anspach. “Christianization was a long process that lasted several generations.”
For the next century, most people around Haithabu have remained pagan. But archaeologists have found Christian symbols in burials from that time, so this pendant can be one of the few who belonged to an early convert.
The work of the pendant is “located on the longer part of the” cross “, so that the room is suspended when worn,” noted Anspach.
It is also possible that the pendant is an unfinished Thor hammer. These pendants symbolized Membership of the ancient Nordic gods While Christianity took root in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. In Nordic mythology, the divine hammer – known as Mjölnir – was manufactured by dwarfs for the gods of Valhalla, and Thor used it later in his war against the giants.
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Discovery by Baltic
The 1000-year-old treasure was found by Arjen Spießwinkel, which is part of a group of volunteer detectors in Schleswig-Holstein. All volunteers take a four -day training course and an exam before obtaining permission to inspect the area with a metal detector. Spießwinkel, who has already made several historical discoveries, recently traveled along the Schlei, an arm of the Baltic Sea next to Haithabu, when he found the treasure and then informed state archaeologists, Anspach said.
In addition to the pendant, ingots and dirhams (Arab parts), the treasure contained hacksilver, pieces of money used monetary for their weight; a fragment of pottery; And an assistance stone, a stone used for sharpening tools, which could refer to an unknown colony nearby.
“These discoveries offer fascinating information on the history of the 10th century – a period of intensive trade, cultural exchange and religious change,” said Anspach. “It is therefore not surprising to discover a treasure near the Schlei. Whether in fact a hidden deposit or if there was a nearby colony cannot be said with certainty at this stage.”
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