The Alfred Jewel: A 1,100-year-old treasure from England’s first king that proclaims ‘Alfred ordered me to be made’
QUICK FACTS
Name: The Alfred jewel
What is this : Cloisonne gemstone set in gold with inscription
Where does it come from: County of Somerset, England
When it was made: 871 to 899 AD
In 1693, a farmer plowing his field in North Petherton, southwest England, found a fascinating medieval gem made from goldenamel and rock crystal. But it is the remarkable inscription around the edge that sets the piece apart from the others. The jewelry reads “AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN”, an Old English phrase meaning “Alfred ordered me to be made”.
The jewelry measures 2.4 by 1.2 inches (6.2 by 3.1 centimeters). Its design consists of dozens of small cells filled with colored enamel paste and enhanced with thin strips of gold. It depicts a person from mid-thigh upwards. The Old English inscription in capital letters around the edge of the jewel’s bezel links it to Alfred the Great.
King Alfred had a reputation as a wise military leader since he helped fight viking invasions in the 9th century. He was also a highly educated man who had many religious texts translated from Latin into Old English. According to the Ashmolean Museum, Alfred distributed these religious manuscripts to the bishops of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, accompanied by a Estelwhich was a sort of bookmark or pointer to help keep one’s place while reading. The Alfred Jewel is probably the end of an aestel.
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At the base of the jewelry, in what looks like the mouth of a dragon or snake, experts noticed a cylindrical socket. This was probably where the pointer itself was once connected.
The Alfred Jewel was found near Athelney Abbeyoriginally a small fortification. Alfred is said to have hidden from the Danish Vikings for several months at Athelney before launching a successful counterattack in 878 that helped him expand his influence in southern England. Alfred then returned to establish a Athelney monastery and to appoint its first abbot.
Because of his ties to the first king of England, the Ashmolean Museum called the Alfred Jewel “among the most important royal relics”.
For more stunning archaeological discoveries, check out our Amazing artifacts archives.
