Two days, two museums, two extraordinary artefacts, two things crossed off the list.
Saturday, Worthing Museum and exhibit one.
This 'thing' came to my attention a few years ago when a friend sent through a photo of it. At the time it had been lost and only photographic evidence remained. However, more recently it was rediscovered inside a box in the stores, but wasn't on display the last time I visited. The museum only reopened last month following a two year long refurbishment and has yet to put out the accompanying labels. You won't be remotely surprised to be told that this is known as 'The Cissbury Phallus' and was discovered in 1953 by a local archaeologist John Pull. It was found down shaft 27 of the neolithic flint mine nearest the entrance to the southern entrance of the Cissbury Ring Hillfort. I am just imaging the miner's glee when he happened upon it whilst excavating way back in 3800 BC...I am sure that there must have been some ribald comments for it's a big beast shall we say. Although it has been lightly shaped in places, it is mainly a natural formation of a flint shaft with a fossilised sea urchin [echinoid] attached to the top.It was the first time that I learnt that the phallus as an art form/ritual item had been part of the human story for so long. The oldest one dates back 28,000 years. We can speculate upon its role in the society of the day, but the suggestion of it being used as a fertility symbol seems likely, but knowing human nature as it it I am sure that people also enjoyed the visual rudeness of it. Whilst my friend and I were actually there for a folkart exhibition. this unexpected Brucie bonus was an extra highlight.
Sunday, Ashmolean Museum, Exhibit two.
Way back in 2018 I specifically travelled over to Oxford to go to a witchcraft exhibition at the Ashmolean and with a bit of time to spare beforehand I had a lovely wander around some of the galleries of interest to me and saw some amazing sights. It was only when I got home that I realised with great frustration that it is the home of the Alfred Jewel and I had missed where it was housed. We were back in the city this weekend dancing at the folk festival and with an hour to spare and only a five minute walk away from our first dance spot I wasn't going to miss out on another opportunity. It really was a case of dive in, take a photo and dash out again, but so worth it.
The jewel was discovered in 1693 by a labourer digging peat in North Petherton, Somerset and it is known that Alfred The Great established a monastery in nearby Athelney having sought refuge there in 878 from the marauding vikings. It is a miniature masterpiece formed from gold with a dragon finial and an enamelled portrait of a man sealed beneath a teardrop shaped piece of rock crystal. Upon it the translated inscription reads 'Alfred ordered me to be made'. It has been in the museum's possession since 1718. Various theories have been put forward to its purpose, but the favoured one nowadays is that it is the head of aestel which would originally have had an ivory pointer and was used for following written text. Alfred is known to have given every bishop in his kingdom an English version of the Regula Pastoralis [written by Pope Gregory] to improve the clergy literacy. Maybe this was also sent out to someone of high status. If you're a fan of the tv series 'detectorists' you will know that this is supposedly the piece Lance found which ended up in the British Museum😀 It might be small, but it certainly packs a punch impact wise.
I consider myself to have been really lucky these past couple of days.
꩜Aril꩜
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