This beautiful Anglo-Saxon artifact -- a pointer to help people read ancient manuscripts (which they would have done aloud, by the way)-- was made at the command of King Alfred the Great (c.849-899). According to 24-Hour Museum, the Alfred Jewel "is made of gold, enamel and rock crystal."
Lettering around the edge reads ‘Aelfred mec heht gewyrcan’ or ‘Alfred ordered me to be made’, and it is thought to be the most important of a set of “aestels” or pointers used to follow lines of text when reading a book, which Alfred is said to have distributed as gifts to monasteries to encourage or reward literacy in those places.
The jewel itself was found in Somerset, not far from Athelney Abbey, the stronghold from which the King launched his counter-attack against the Vikings in the 870s.
There is also an impressive Anglo-Saxon sword in the same exhibit:
Both artifacts come from the Ashmolean Museum but are on loan to the Winchester Discovery Centre for the "Treasures of Alfred the Great" exhibit.
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