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Unique ID: LANCUM-ED9222
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
a silver Thor's hammer pendant from the Longtown area, Cumbria
Surface metal analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated a silver content of approximately 96%, the rest being copper with small amounts of lead and gold. The pendant weighs 12.17 grams.
The pendant is cast in the form of a plain, flat, double-headed hammer with a concave-sided central projection on top and a long, slightly concave-sided shaft of rectangular section; height, 47 mm; width, 21 mm. The end of the shaft is broken across a hole for suspension and the surface abrasions are both original and a typical feature of Viking-period silver objects
The object belongs to a series of Viking-period amuletic pendants thought to represent Mjollnir, the hammer of the mighty Norse god Thor. They are found widely distributed in areas of Viking settlement from England (in the Danelaw and the northwest), Iceland and Normandy to Scandinavia and Russia, in male and female graves, hoards and settlement sites. At least fifty silver examples are known.
About a dozen English examples are known, mostly of silver and some of which may have been made in the Danelaw, including three from Leconfield, East Yorkshire, Essex, and Wetwang, East Yorkshire, reported as potential Treasure in 1998 and 2002 (L. Webster, 2000, "Leconfield (1), East Yorkshire: Viking-period silver Thor's hammer", Treasure Annual Report 1998-1999, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, p. 52, no. 88; 2002/T.168 and 2002/T.266). One from Great Witchingham, Norfolk, has a gold insert (Treasure Annual Report 2003, no. 98) and is illustrated together with other hammer pendants from Norfolk, at least two of which have perforated and broken ends, by R. Hall (2007, Exploring the World of the Vikings, London, p. 107; in lit., J. Graham-Campbell). The English ones are mostly plain, or only simply decorated, e.g. the silver example from the Cuerdale hoard, Lancs. of the late 9th/beginning of the 10th century, which has a long shaft like the Longtown find, although it ends in a loop rather than a hole for suspension (E. Hawkins, 1847, "An account of coins and treasure found in Cuerdale", Archaeological Journal, 4, pp. 111-30, fig. 85).
On the basis of the above parallels the Thor's hammer pendant from the Longtown area can be dated to the late 9th or 10th century. It would therefore qualify as Treasure under two of the stipulated criteria of the Treasure Act: it is more than 300 years old and the precious metal content exceeds 10%.
This is a find of note and has been designated: Regional importance
Class: Thor's hammer
Current location of find: Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2008T159
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 875
Date to: Circa AD 1000
Quantity: 1
Length: 47.13 mm
Width: 21.16 mm
Thickness: 3.77 mm
Weight: 12.19 g
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 1st February 2008
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Other reference: 50 Finds from Cumbria
Treasure case number: 2008T159
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bland, R.F. | 2005 | Treasure Annual Report 2003 | London | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | #98 | ||
DCMS | 2000 | Treasure Annual Report 1998-1999 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | p.52 | |||
Hall, R. | 2007 | Exploring the world of Vikings | London | Thames & Hudson | p.107 | ||
Hawkins, E. | 1847 | An account of coins and treasure found in Cuerdale | London | London | pp. 111-30 |