A History of the World in 100 Objects

Japanese bronze mirror


Listen Later

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, exploring the great arcs of trade that connected Africa, Europe and Asia around a thousand years ago. Today he arrives in Japan with an object that offers a dramatic twist on the week's theme. This small mirror from the bottom of a sacred pond comes from a time when the Japanese suddenly cut themselves off from the outside world and stopped all official contact with China, a country it had frequently borrowed ideas from. Neil tells the story of the Heian period of Japanese history, a moment of great cultural awakening in Japan, especially in literature. The object is a small mirror that was found at the bottom of a sacred pond. The writer Ian Buruma and the archaeologist Harada Masayuki help describe the Japan of this time.

Producer: Anthony Denselow

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

A History of the World in 100 ObjectsBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

1,161 ratings


More shows like A History of the World in 100 Objects

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,766 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

526 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,066 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

305 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,474 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,249 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

971 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,882 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

869 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

611 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

738 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

592 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

284 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

302 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,107 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

979 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

404 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

229 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

333 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

360 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

369 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

233 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

332 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,224 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,616 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

67 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

842 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

556 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

625 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

358 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

269 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

62 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

76 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

2 Listeners