A History of the World in 100 Objects

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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: Old World, New Powers (1100 - 300 BC): Paracas Textile Fragment

Paracas Textile

Paracas Textile Fragment

Old World, New Powers (1100 - 300 BC)

A History of the World in 100 Objects Omnibus

BBC Radio 4 - A History of the World in 100 Objects, Old World, New Powers (1100 - 300 BC), Paracas Textile Fragment

Neil MacGregor's world history through objects. Today: ancient textiles from Peru

Neil MacGregor's history of humanity told through objects. Today, textiles from Peru that have remarkably survived for over 2000 years 

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 2000-3000 years ago. 

The theme so far has been one of empires collapsing, new regimes and warfare. In South America there were no new empires and we still don't entirely understand the cultures that were thriving there.  In this programme, Neil MacGregor shows off some of the remarkably preserved textiles discovered in the Paracas peninsula on the southern coast of Peru and tries to piece together what life might have been like for these people living in around 500 BC. The early Peruvians went to astonishing lengths to make and decorate their textiles whose colours remain striking to this day. What were they for and what do they tell us about beliefs of this time? 

A History of the World in 100 Objects: Old World, New Powers (1100 - 300 BC)

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

Across the world new regimes create objects to assert their supremacy.

From the very first coinage to burial shrouds, Neil MacGregor decodes five objects to reveal the ambition of new regimes across the world.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects

Old World, New Powers (1100 - 300 BC)

Paracas Textile Fragment

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