A metal detectorist in Germany has unearthed a hoard dating back to the Early Middle Ages, containing about 200 artifacts — including a pendant that may be a Christian cross or an unfinished Thor’s hammer.
This newly discovered Viking Age treasure, found in northern Germany near Haithabu, an important maritime trading center during the Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066), includes Arabic coins, silver ingots, and a pendant whose meaning could reveal insights into the region’s religious history.
If the pendant is a cross, it could represent “an early sign of the onset of Christianisation” in the area, said Birte Anspach, a spokesperson for the State Archaeological Office of Schleswig-Holstein, in an email to Live Science.
Christianity began to spread in Haithabu when St. Ansgar visited in the ninth century, but the transition from Norse paganism to Christianity was gradual.
“Ansgar did not come and suddenly everyone turned away from the old gods and embraced the Christian faith,” Anspach explained. “Christianisation was a long process spanning several generations.”
For about a century after Ansgar’s arrival, most people around Haithabu remained pagan. However, archaeologists have found Christian symbols in burials from that period, so this pendant may have belonged to an early convert. Interestingly, the eyelet on the pendant is attached to the longer part of the ‘cross,’ causing it to hang upside down when worn, Anspach noted.
Alternatively, the pendant might be an unfinished Thor’s hammer. Such hammer pendants, known as Mjölnir in Norse mythology, symbolized loyalty to the old Norse gods at a time when Christianity was spreading through Scandinavia and northern Europe. According to legend, dwarves forged the divine hammer for the gods of Valhalla, and Thor wielded it to battle giants.
Discovery by the Baltic
The hoard was discovered by Arjen Spießwinkel, a member of a volunteer metal detector group in Schleswig-Holstein. Volunteers must complete a four-day training course and pass an exam before they are permitted to search with a detector. Spießwinkel, who has made several significant finds in the past, was exploring along the Schlei — a Baltic Sea inlet near Haithabu — when he came upon the hoard and alerted state archaeologists, Anspach said.
Alongside the pendant, the hoard contained hacksilver — silver fragments historically used as currency by weight — as well as dirhams (Arabic coins), ingots, a pottery shard, and a whetstone for sharpening tools. These items suggest there may be an undiscovered settlement nearby.
“These finds offer fascinating insights into the history of the 10th century — a time marked by intensive trade, cultural exchange, and religious transformation,” Anspach said. “It is therefore not surprising to discover a hoard near the Schlei. Whether it was a hidden treasure depot or part of a nearby settlement remains unclear at this stage.”
