AESTEL

Unique ID: NMS-AFFDB4

Object type certainty: Probably
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

Notes:

The artefact has been examined by Dr Kevin Leahy, Finds Adviser for Early Medieval metalwork at the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Dr Tim Pestell curator of Archaeology at Norwich Castle Museum and Dr Helen Geake, National Finds Adviser for Early Medieval to Post Medieval objects at the Portable Antiquities Scheme. There is broad agreement on the circa 8th or early 9th century date and that it is most probably the finial end of an aestel. The most opulent example of an aestel is the Alfred Jewel in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. A gilded copper alloy example is known which was found on an excavation at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire in 2008. The Berkeley aestel is made of a flattened and rolled single sheet of copper alloy, with a pierced Celtic type cross, engraved and then gilded to give it a high status finish. It would have probably been attached to a wooden or ivory stylus. Dr Helen Geake comments that "Aestels are thought to be pointers to keep one's place in a manuscript, rather than dragging a potentially dirty finger along the line. Possibly from the Latin 'hastula', little spear - although there's a rather ingenious argument too that they were pieces of the True Cross fixed to the cover of Alfred's translation of the Pastoral Care, so it's not all definite yet by any means!"

Lesley Webster considers the object is probably a finial from a rod, and not the head of an aestel or book pointer (Blair 2018, 290, footnote 34).

Find of note status

This is a find of note and has been designated: County / local importance

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture: Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 700
Date to: Circa AD 850

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 67 mm
Width: 35 mm
Thickness: 1.6 mm
Weight: 12.5 g
Diameter: 10 mm

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 4th March 2014 - Tuesday 4th March 2014

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

SMR reference number: 59767
Other reference: LP032014

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Gilded