A History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast
Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.
Episodes to download
-
![]()
Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent—The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)
Mon 13 Sep 2010
1/5 Neil Macgregor with the personal monogram of Suleyman the Magnificent.
-
![]()
Hoa Hakananai'a Easter Island statue—Meeting The Gods (1200 - 1400 AD)
Fri 9 Jul 2010
5/5 Neil MacGregor with one of the extraordinary giant figures from Easter Island.
-
![]()
Statue of Huastec goddess—Meeting The Gods (1200 - 1400 AD)
Thu 8 Jul 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor with the sculpture of a goddess made by the Huastec people of Mexico.
-
![]()
Shiva and Parvati sculpture—Meeting The Gods (1200 - 1400 AD)
Wed 7 Jul 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor with a stone sculpture of the Hindu deity Shiva and his consort Parvati.
-
![]()
Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy—Meeting The Gods (1200 - 1400 AD)
Tue 6 Jul 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with a 14th century icon from the Byzantine Empire.
-
![]()
Holy Thorn Reliquary—Meeting The Gods (1200 - 1400 AD)
Mon 5 Jul 2010
1/5 Neil MacGregor with a reliquary made for a thorn from Christ's crown of thorns.
-
![]()
Taino ritual seat—Status Symbols (1200 - 1400 AD)
Fri 2 Jul 2010
5/5 Neil MacGregor with a ritual seat from a Caribbean culture that has been destroyed.
-
![]()
The David Vases—Status Symbols (1200 - 1400 AD)
Thu 1 Jul 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor - and the transformation of ordinary clay into beautiful Chinese porcelain.
-
![]()
Ife head—Status Symbols (1200 - 1400 AD)
Wed 30 Jun 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor with a magnificent brass head from the African city of Ife.
-
![]()
Hebrew astrolabe—Status Symbols (1200 - 1400 AD)
Tue 29 Jun 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with an extraordinary astronomical instrument.
-
![]()
Lewis Chessmen—Status Symbols (1200 - 1400 AD)
Mon 28 Jun 2010
1/5 Neil Macgregor's history through objects - today the famous Lewis chessmen.
-
![]()
Kilwa pot sherds—Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 - 1300 AD)
Fri 25 Jun 2010
5/5 Neil MacGregor - unlocking secrets with broken pots from East Africa.
-
![]()
Borobudur Buddha head—Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 - 1300 AD)
Thu 24 Jun 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor with a head of the Buddha from Borobudur.
-
![]()
Japanese bronze mirror—Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 - 1300 AD)
Wed 23 Jun 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor with a bronze mirror from a sacred pond in Japan.
-
![]()
Hedwig glass beaker—Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 - 1300 AD)
Tue 22 Jun 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with a glass vessel linked with a saintly miracle worker.
-
![]()
Vale of York Hoard—Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 - 1300 AD)
Mon 21 Jun 2010
1/5 Neil Macgregor with a great Viking hoard from the Vale of York.
-
![]()
Chinese Tang tomb figures—Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)
Fri 18 Jun 2010
5/5 Neil MacGregor with a collection of tomb figures from Tang dynasty China
-
![]()
Statue of Tara—Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)
Thu 17 Jun 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor with a beguiling statue of the Buddhist deity Tara
-
![]()
Lothair Crystal—Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)
Wed 16 Jun 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor with an engraved crystal and royal intrigue at the heart of Europe
-
![]()
Harem wall painting fragments—Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)
Tue 15 Jun 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with mysterious faces from the harem in an ancient city north of Baghdad
-
![]()
Maya relief of royal blood-letting—Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)
Mon 14 Jun 2010
1/5 Neil Macgregor with a disturbing, bloody image from the ancient Mayan civilisation
-
![]()
Silk princess painting—The Silk Road And Beyond (400 - 700 AD)
Fri 11 Jun 2010
5/5 Neil MacGregor continues his history of the world with a painting from the Silk Road.
-
![]()
Korean roof tile—The Silk Road And Beyond (400 - 700 AD)
Thu 10 Jun 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor delves into the history of an artefact from Korea.
-
![]()
Moche warrior pot—The Silk Road And Beyond (400 - 700 AD)
Wed 9 Jun 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor with a warrior figure from a lost people of Peru.
-
![]()
Sutton Hoo helmet—The Silk Road And Beyond (400 - 700 AD)
Tue 8 Jun 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with one of the most sensational finds from Anglo-Saxon Britain.
-
![]()
Gold Coins of Abd al-Malik—The Silk Road And Beyond (400 - 700 AD)
Mon 7 Jun 2010
1/5 Neil MacGregor with gold coins from Syria and the transformation of the Middle East.
-
![]()
Arabian bronze hand—The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD)
Fri 4 Jun 2010
5/5 A mysterious bronze hand tells the story of religious belief in Arabia before Islam.
-
![]()
Hinton St Mary Mosaic—The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD)
Thu 3 Jun 2010
4/5 Neil MacGregor encounters one of the earliest images of Christ.
-
![]()
Silver plate showing Shapur II—The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD)
Wed 2 Jun 2010
3/5 Neil MacGregor, with a dramatic image of power and faith from ancient Iran.
-
![]()
Gold coin of Kumaragupta I—The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD)
Tue 1 Jun 2010
2/5 Neil MacGregor with gold coins from North India.
Shakespeare's Restless World
Neil MacGregor uncovers Shakespeare's world through twenty objects.
