William Sterling

Since 1994 I have been an eyeOpener trained volunteer guide at the British Museum (www.britishmuseum.org). The eyeOpener tours are designed to introduce visitors to different parts of the Museum. Once a month I lead guided tours of the Greek Galleries and Mediaeval Galleries. Check Events & Courses for upcoming tours.

Featured in British Museum Eyeopener Tours, History

Early and Late Mediaeval Europe

This tour starts at 2:45 each day and lasts about 40 minutes.  Following the reopening of the Early Mediaeval Gallery, Room 41, in Spring 2014 the tour has been updatedOne of gold shoulder clasps with cloisonne and millefiori C7th Sutton Hoo BM to include both early and late objects from Mediaeval Europe.  The tour starts at the end of the Roman Empire with the dazzling Esquiline Treasure from Rome and continues with the story of Early Mediaeval Europe, especially the Anglo-Saxons of which the main highlight is the Sutton Hoo Treasure (right).

 

 

The tour also covers such finds as the largest Viking Hoard in Western Europe, from Cuerdale in Lancashire, the world famous Lewis Chess Pieces, and the Royal Gold Cup from Paris, probably the greatest Royal treasure to survive from the Middle Ages, some of the highlights of any visit to the Museum.

The Lewis Chess Pieces and Sutton Hoo Treasure also featured in the BBC’s “A History of the World in 100 objects.”

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