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A History of the World in 100 Objects

Factual: History

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells humanity's history through objects

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD): Inca gold llama

Inca Gold Llama

Inca gold llama

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

A History of the World in 100 Objects Omnibus

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Neil MacGregor with a model of a llama - the animal behind the Inca Empire.

Neil MacGregor looks at powerful empires across the world 600 years ago - today he is with the great Inca Empire that once dominated South America - and a gold llama.

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 elites - exploring the great empires across the world 600 years ago. Today he is with a small gold model of a llama, the animal that helped fuel the success of the great Inca Empire that ruled over some 12 million people right down the Pacific West Coast. For a culture living at high altitude in rough terrain and without horses or pack animals, the llama proved all important - for wool, for meat and for sacrifice. Neil tells the story of the Inca, the ways in which they organised themselves and things that they believed in. And he recounts what happened when the Spanish arrived. The scientist and writer Jared Diamond and the archaeologist Gabriel Ramon help tell the story.

Producer: Anthony Denselow



A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Neil MacGregor explores the great empires of the world in the threshold of the modern era.

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the great empires of the world around 1500 - from the Inca in South America to the Ming in China and the Timurids in the Middle East.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

Inca gold llama

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