Podcasts by A History of the World in 100 Objects
Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.
Further podcasts by BBC Radio 4
Podcast on the topic Geschichte
All episodes
Object 101 from 2020-12-25T13:30
Ten years on from the ground-breaking Radio 4 series, "A History of The World in 100 Objects", former director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor looks back at the impact of the series, on how st...
Listen
Object 101 from 2020-12-25T13:30
Ten years on from the ground-breaking Radio 4 series, "A History of The World in 100 Objects", former director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor looks back at the impact of the series, on how...
Listen
Solar-powered lamp and charger from 2010-10-22T09:00
The very last episode in Neil MacGregor's history of humanity as told through the things that time has left behind. The director of the British Museum in London has spent the past year choosing ...
Listen
Credit card from 2010-10-21T09:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world as told through things. Throughout this week he is examining objects that speak of the great shifts in human organisation and thinking in the modern world -...
Listen
Throne of Weapons from 2010-10-20T09:00
The history of humanity, as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London, is drawing to an end.
Throughout this week, Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Mus...
Listen
Hockney's In the Dull Village from 2010-10-19T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is examining the forces that helped shape our way of life and ways of thinking today. He began with the political revolution that exploded In Russ...
Listen
Russian revolutionary plate from 2010-10-18T09:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world as told through things that time has left behind. Throughout this closing week he is examining some of the major social and political movements that have he...
Listen
Suffragette-defaced penny from 2010-10-15T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history told through objects from the British Museum in London. The objects he has chosen this week have reflected on mass production and mass consumption in the 19th cent...
Listen
Sudanese slit drum from 2010-10-14T09:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world as told through things. Throughout this week he is examining the great shifts in the global economy and in imperial power in the 19th century. Today he is w...
Listen
Hokusai's The Great Wave from 2010-10-13T09:00
The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is once again in Japan. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is looking at the globa...
Listen
Early Victorian tea set from 2010-10-12T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is looking at how the global economy became cemented in the 19th century, a time of mass production and mass consumption. He tells the story of ho...
Listen
Ship's chronometer from HMS Beagle from 2010-10-11T09:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world as told through things. Throughout this week he is examining the global economy of the 19th century - of mass production and mass consumption. Today he is w...
Listen
Australian Bark Shield from 2010-10-07T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London. This week, Neil MacGregor, the Director of the Museum, is looking at Europe's engagement with the r...
Listen
North American Buckskin Map from 2010-10-06T09:00
The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is once again in North America. This week, Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is looking at ...
Listen
Hawaiian feather helmet from 2010-10-05T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is telling the story of European encounters across the globe during the 18th century.
Today he finds out what happened to Captain Cook as h...
Listen
Reformation Centenary Broadsheet from 2010-10-01T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week Neil is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across the globe around 400 yea...
Listen
Mexican Codex Map from 2010-09-30T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London. This week Neil MacGregor is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across ...
Listen
Shadow Puppet of Bima from 2010-09-29T09:00
The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is in South East Asia. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is with the objects from...
Listen
Miniature of a Mughal Prince from 2010-09-28T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across the globe around 400 years ago. Today he is in one of the great Islamic ...
Listen
Shi'a Religious Parade Standard from 2010-09-27T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the development and co-existence of faiths across the globe around 400 years ago, looking at objects from India and ...
Listen
Shi'a Religious Parade Standard from 2010-09-27T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the development and co-existence of faiths across the globe around 400 years ago, looking at objects from India a...
Listen
Pieces of eight from 2010-09-24T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week he is exploring the world between 1450 and 1600 - looking at what was happening in South America, Afric...
Listen
Kakiemon elephants from 2010-09-23T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London is this week exploring the world at the time of European discovery - between 1450 and 1600. Today Ne...
Listen
Double-headed serpent from 2010-09-22T09:00
The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is back in South America. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is with objects from ...
Listen
Benin plaque - the Oba with Europeans from 2010-09-21T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is exploring the impact of the great European age of expansion and discovery during the 15th and 16th Centuries. In the last programme he describe...
Listen
The mechanical galleon from 2010-09-20T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the impact of Western European travel, trade and conquest between 1450 and 1600. He kicks off with an exquisite m...
Listen
Durer's Rhinoceros from 2010-09-17T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week he is exploring vigorous empires that flourished across the world 600 years ago - visiting the Inca in Sou...
Listen
Durer's Rhinoceros from 2010-09-17T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week he is exploring vigorous empires that flourished across the world 600 years ago - visiting the Inca in ...
Listen
Jade dragon cup from 2010-09-16T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London is this week exploring powerful empires around the world in the 14th and 15th centuries. Today he is...
Listen
Inca gold llama from 2010-09-15T09:00
The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is back in South America. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is with the powerful ...
Listen
Ming banknote from 2010-09-14T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is exploring the great empires of around 1500 - the threshold of the modern era. Today he is in Ming Dynasty China and with a surviving example of...
Listen
Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent from 2010-09-13T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the great empires of the world around 1500 - from the Inca in South America to the Ming in China and the Timurids...
Listen
Hoa Hakananai'a Easter Island statue from 2010-07-09T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the sophisticated ways in which people connected to gods and ancestors in the Middle Ages. He is looking at religious images from India, France, Mexico and ...
Listen
Statue of Huastec goddess from 2010-07-08T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London is in Mexico. This week Neil MacGregor is meeting the Gods - exploring the sophistication of religio...
Listen
Shiva and Parvati sculpture from 2010-07-07T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London is back in India. This week Neil MacGregor is with the gods - exploring the sophistication of religi...
Listen
Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy from 2010-07-06T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor's world history as told through objects is describing how people expressed devotion and connection with the divine in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Today he is wit...
Listen
Holy Thorn Reliquary from 2010-07-05T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the sophisticated ways that people expressed religious yearning in the 14th and 15th centuries. He is looking at ...
Listen
Taino ritual seat from 2010-07-02T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum. This week the Museum's director, Neil MacGregor, is exploring high status objects from across the world aroun...
Listen
The David Vases from 2010-07-01T09:00
The history of the world as told through objects that time has left behind. This week Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has chosen some of the great status symbols of the world...
Listen
Hebrew astrolabe from 2010-06-29T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through objects at the British Museum. This week he is exploring high status objects from across the world around 700 years ago. Today he has chosen an ast...
Listen
Lewis Chessmen from 2010-06-28T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has chosen some of the great status symbols of the world around 700 years ago - objects with quite surprising links across the globe...
Listen
Kilwa pot sherds from 2010-06-25T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor has been looking at objects from Japan, Britain, Java and central Europe, exploring the great arcs of trade that connected Africa, Europe and Asia a thousand years ago. ...
Listen
Borobudur Buddha head from 2010-06-24T09:00
A history of the World in one hundred objects arrives on the Indonesian island of Java. This is the series that offers a new history of humanity through the individual objects that time has left...
Listen
Japanese bronze mirror from 2010-06-23T09:00
The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London. This week Neil MacGregor is looking at objects from Tanzania, Britain, Java and central Europe, exp...
Listen
Hedwig glass beaker from 2010-06-22T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through objects at the British Museum. This week he is looking at how objects moved around the medieval world in the context of war, trade and faith and t...
Listen
Vale of York Hoard from 2010-06-21T09:00
The history of the world as told through objects that history has left behind. This week Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has chosen objects that bring life to the traders, pi...
Listen
Chinese Tang tomb figures from 2010-06-18T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring life in the great royal courts across the world during Europe's medieval period, from the heart of Europe to Mexico and Sri Lanka. Today he is in China of t...
Listen
Statue of Tara from 2010-06-17T09:00
The history of the world as told through one hundred of the objects. The objects are selected from the collection of the British Museum by its director, Neil MacGregor.
This week, Neil is...
Listen
Lothair Crystal from 2010-06-16T09:00
This week, Neil MacGregor is exploring life in the great royal courts around the world during Europe's medieval period. It's easy to forget that the civilisations of Tang China, the Islamic Empi...
Listen
Harem wall painting fragments from 2010-06-15T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history as told through objects at the British Museum. This week, he is exploring life and intrigue in the great courts of the world at the same time as the European medie...
Listen
Maya relief of royal blood-letting from 2010-06-14T09:00
The history of the world as told through objects. This week Neil MacGregor, the Director of the British Museum, is exploring power and intrigue in the great royal courts of the world around 800 ...
Listen
Silk princess painting from 2010-06-11T09:00
Throughout this week, Neil MacGregor has been exploring the world of the late 7th century, with objects from South America, Britain, Syria and Korea.
Today's object is from the 4000 mile ...
Listen
Korean roof tile from 2010-06-10T09:00
Korea: source of modern-day electronic components. Neil MacGregor delves into the history of a an artefact from the region.
Listen
Moche warrior pot from 2010-06-09T09:00
The history of the world as told through one hundred objects arrives in 7th Century Peru. Throughout this week Neil MacGregor is exploring along the Silk Road and beyond, ranging from Korea to E...
Listen
Sutton Hoo helmet from 2010-06-08T09:00
The history of the world as told through one hundred objects. This week Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, is exploring the world in the 7th Century, at a time when the teaching...
Listen
Gold Coins of Abd al-Malik from 2010-06-07T09:00
The history of the world as told through one hundred of the objects that time has left behind. The objects are from the British Museum and tell the story of humanity over the past 2 million year...
Listen
Arabian bronze hand from 2010-06-04T09:00
Throughout this week Neil MacGregor is looking at how the great faiths were creating new visual aids to promote devotion around the world of 1700 years ago. Having looked at emerging images from...
Listen
Hinton St Mary Mosaic from 2010-06-03T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring how many of the great religions, less than 2000 years ago, began creating sophisticated new images to aid prayer and focus devotion. Many of the artistic co...
Listen
Silver plate showing Shapur II from 2010-06-02T09:00
Throughout this week Neil MacGregor is describing how people across the globe around 1700 years ago found new images to express their religious beliefs. Today's object is a dramatic visualisatio...
Listen
Gold coin of Kumaragupta I from 2010-06-01T09:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring how several of the great religions around the world, less than 2000 years ago, began creating sophisticated new images to represent their beliefs and their ...
Listen
Seated Buddha from Gandhara from 2010-05-31T09:00
This week the history of the world as told through one hundred objects is looking at how the world's great religions began trying to find the perfect way to visually express the divine, less tha...
Listen
Hoxne pepper pot from 2010-05-28T09:00
Neil MacGregor's world history told through objects at the British Museum arrives in Britain at the time of the Roman collapse. Throughout this week he has been looking at how different cultures...
Listen
Admonitions Scroll from 2010-05-27T09:00
Throughout this week, Neil MacGregor has been exploring pleasure and recreation across the world of 200 years ago. Today he arrives in China to explore a painting based on a poem that attempts t...
Listen
Ceremonial ballgame belt from 2010-05-26T09:00
Neil MacGregor's history of humanity as told through one hundred objects that time has left behind. This week he is looking at objects of leisure and pleasure around the world about 2000 years a...
Listen
North American otter pipe from 2010-05-25T09:00
The history of the world as explained through objects arrives in North America 2000 years ago and a stone pipe used in ritual. It is one of hundreds of pipes shaped as animals that were found in...
Listen
Warren Cup from 2010-05-24T09:00
Throughout this week Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum in London, is exploring the ways in which people were seeking pleasure around the world 2000 years ago, from pipe smoking ...
Listen
Head of Augustus from 2010-05-21T09:00
Neil MacGregor concludes the first week of the second part of his global history as told through objects from the British Museum. This week he has been exploring the lives and methods of powerfu...
Listen
Chinese Han lacquer cup from 2010-05-20T09:00
In a week of programmes exploring the nature of power and the emergence of new rulers around the world 2000 years ago, Neil MacGregor takes us to Han Dynasty China. He tells the story of how the...
Listen
Rosetta Stone from 2010-05-19T09:00
Today's programme finds Neil MacGregor in the company of one of the best known inhabitants of the British Museum - the Rosetta Stone. Throughout this week he is exploring shifting empires and th...
Listen
Pillar of Ashoka from 2010-05-18T09:00
The history of the world as told through objects at the British Museum arrives in India over 2000 years ago. Throughout this week Neil MacGregor is exploring the lives and methods of powerful ne...
Listen
Head of Alexander from 2010-05-17T09:00
Another chance to hear the first programmes in the second part of Neil MacGregor's global history told through objects from the British Museum. This week Neil is exploring the lives and methods ...
Listen
Chinese Bronze Bell from 2010-02-26T10:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the emergence of sophisticated new powers across the world 2500 years ago, from the Parthenon in Greece, to the great empire of Cyrus in Persia and the forg...
Listen
Olmec Stone Mask from 2010-02-25T10:00
Neil MacGregor, in his history of mankind as told through objects at the British Museum, selects a miniature mask to tell the story of the Olmec - the mysterious people of ancient Mexico who liv...
Listen
Basse Yutz Flagons from 2010-02-24T10:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world recounted through objects at the British Museum arrives in Northern Europe two and a half thousand years ago.
Neil explores the early world of the Ce...
Listen
Parthenon Sculpture: Centaur + Lapith from 2010-02-23T10:00
Neil MacGregor's telling of the story of humanity through individual objects at the British Museum. This week he is looking at the emergence of powerful new forces across the globe around the 5t...
Listen
Oxus Chariot Model from 2010-02-22T10:00
Neil MacGregor's world history told through objects at the British Museum arrives in Persia 2500 years ago. Throughout this week, Neil is looking at powerful leaders across the ancient world. To...
Listen
Gold Coin of Croesus from 2010-02-19T10:00
The history of the world as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum. This week Neil MacGregor, the Museum's Director, has been looking at the collapse of old regimes and the eme...
Listen
Paracas Textile Fragment from 2010-02-18T10:00
A history of the world described through individual objects at the British Museum. This week Neil MacGregor, the Museum's Director, is looking at what was happening around the world between 2000...
Listen
Chinese Zhou Ritual Vessel from 2010-02-17T10:00
Neil MacGregor's history of humanity told through one hundred objects from the British Museum. Three thousand years ago, the world was in huge flux, with new powers creating sophisticated new so...
Listen
Sphinx of Taharqo from 2010-02-16T10:00
Throughout this week, Neil MacGregor is describing power struggles across the globe around 3000 years ago, as ambitious new forces set about building sophisticated new societies - from the Middl...
Listen
Lachish Reliefs from 2010-02-15T10:00
Neil MacGregor's history of the world told through objects from the British Museum in London arrives at the Palace of Sennacherib in Northern Iraq.
Throughout this week, Neil MacGregor ex...
Listen
Statue of Ramesses from 2010-02-12T10:00
A History of the World in 100 Objects has arrived in Egypt around 1250BC. At the heart of this programme is the British Museum's giant statue of the king Ramesses II, an inspiration to Shelly an...
Listen
Mold Gold Cape from 2010-02-11T10:00
Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card, using 100 selected objects from the Museum. Neil MacGregor c...
Listen
Minoan Bull Leaper from 2010-02-10T10:05
Neil MacGregor's retelling of the history of humanity, using objects from the British Museum's own collection, arrives in Crete around 1700BC. The programme tells the story of man's fascination ...
Listen
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus from 2010-02-09T10:00
In a week that explores man's early experiments with numbers, Neil MacGregor describes the British Museum's most famous mathematical papyrus. This shows how and why the ancient Egyptians were de...
Listen
Flood tablet from 2010-02-08T10:00
A small tablet was found in modern Iraq and brought back to the British Museum. When it was translated, back in 1872, it turned out to be an account of a great flood that significantly pre-dated...
Listen
Early Writing Tablet from 2010-02-05T10:00
This week's programmes in the history of the world looks at the growing sophistication of humans around the globe, between 5000 and 2000 BC. Mesopotamia had created the royal city of Ur, the Ind...
Listen
Indus Seal from 2010-02-03T10:00
The ancient city of Harappa lies around 150 miles north of Lahore in Pakistan. It was once one of the great centres of a civilisation that has largely disappeared, one with vast trade connection...
Listen
Standard of Ur from 2010-02-02T10:00
Neil MacGregor with this week's examination of the first great civilisations with one of the most spectacular discoveries of ancient royal goods. The magnificent gold and silver jewellery was f...
Listen
King Den's Sandal Label from 2010-02-01T10:00
This week, Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor investigates the impact on human society of large numbers of people coming together in the world's first cities between 5000 and 2000 BC....
Listen
Maya Maize God Statue from 2010-01-28T10:00
This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the growing importance of agriculture around the world at the end of the Ice Age, with objects that show and celebrate the key elements of the time; power, ...
Listen
Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle from 2010-01-27T10:00
Neil MacGregor, in his history of mankind as told through objects at the British Museum, selects four miniature clay cows to show the major changes that early man was undergoing at the end of th...
Listen
Ain Sakri Lovers Figuerine from 2010-01-26T10:00
The British Museum's Director, Neil MacGregor, investigates a palm-sized stone sculpture that was found near Bethlehem. It clearly shows a couple entwined in the act of love. The contemporary s...
Listen
Bird-shaped Pestle from 2010-01-25T10:00
Neil MacGregor continues his retelling of human history using 100 selected objects from the British Museum. This week he explores the profound changes that humans experienced at the end of the ...
Listen
Clovis Spear Point from 2010-01-22T10:00
The Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card using 100 selected objects from the Museum. In this prog...
Listen
Swimming Reindeer from 2010-01-21T10:00
The Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card using 100 selected objects from the Museum. Today Neil h...
Listen
Olduvai Handaxe from 2010-01-20T10:00
The Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells two million years of history of human development through the objects it has produced. This programme follows early humans as they sl...
Listen
Olduvai Stone Chopping Tool from 2010-01-19T10:00
The Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card, using 100 selected objects from the Museum. In this pro...
Listen
Mummy of Hornedjitef from 2010-01-18T10:00
The Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card using 100 selected objects from the Museum. His history ...
Listen