Before construction on new homes could begin, archaeologists in Sweden excavated the area. What they found startled them.

Archaeologists in Ysby discovered a well-preserved torshammare — a Thor’s hammer — from the late Viking age, according to a news release from Kulturmiljö Halland, the cultural department of Halland’s cultural history museum.

Although the hammer mimics Mjolnir, the iconic symbol of the Norse god of thunder, it’s much smaller, archaeologists said. This hammer is just over 1 inch long and 1 inch tall — fitting easily in the palm of a hand, photos show.

This Thor’s hammer is made of lead but may have been covered in gold or silver, experts said. At the top, it has a hole, indicating it was likely tied onto a string or strap and worn as an amulet or other piece of jewelry, Swedish archaeologists said.

But the hammer may have had other significance, archaeologists said.

The artifact dates to the 9th to 11th century when Christianity began to spread in Sweden. As a symbol of Norse mythology, the hammer may have marked its wearer as someone who still worshiped these deities, researchers theorized.

Similar amulets have been found across Scandinavia, archaeologists said, but this is the first one found in Ysby and the Halland region. That makes it “one of a kind” hammer, Ancient Origins reported on October 2022.

During their excavation, archaeologists also found flint chips, ceramics, metal pieces, post holes and hearths that may date to the Viking age.

Ysby is about 320 miles southwest of Stockholm.