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Primary sourceArtifactc. 900

Alfred Jewel

c. 900

A gold, crystal and enamel object inscribed 'Alfred ordered me made', probably the handle of a reading pointer tied to Alfred's programme of learning.

Inscribed with Alfred's own order to make it, the jewel is a rare physical trace of his campaign to spread learning.

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Close-up of the Alfred Jewel: a pear-shaped gold pendant with a clear crystal front covering blue and green enamel figure of a person in a green garment, with gold filigree surround and a gold animal-head terminal below on a dark background.
Alfred Jewel, c. 900. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

About this source

What it is

The Alfred Jewel is a small gold object set with enamel and rock crystal, dated to the late 9th century. It was found ploughed up in a field in Somerset in 1693 and is now kept at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Around its crystal runs an inscription reading 'AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN' — 'Alfred ordered me made'.

Why it matters

Most scholars think the jewel was the handle of a pointer, or aestel, used for following words while reading. King Alfred mentioned sending such aestels, each worth a large sum, out with copies of his translation of a religious book to bishoprics across his kingdom. The jewel is strong evidence for Alfred's efforts to spread learning and literacy, and it shows the skill of Anglo-Saxon goldsmiths working with new techniques borrowed from Byzantine or Carolingian art.

Look closer

  • Why might Alfred have chosen to put his own name on an everyday object like a reading pointer?
  • What does the quality of the craftsmanship suggest about the resources available at Alfred's court?
  • Why do historians debate exactly what this object was used for?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Alfred the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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