A BBC/British Museum
partnership

A 100 part series by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, exploring world history from two million years ago to the present.

To mark the publication of the book of A History of the World in 100 Objects, Neil MacGregor discusses this engrossing and original approach to the telling of human history.

Related playlists

Downloads

A History of the World book launch

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Listen to the programmes

Making Us Human
(2,000,000 – 9000 BC)

After the Ice Age: Food and Sex
(9000 – 3500 BC)

The First Cities and States
(4000 – 2000 BC)11: King Den's sandal label

The Beginning of Science & Literature
(1500 – 700 BC)

Old World, New Powers
(1100 – 300 BC)

The World in the Age of Confucius
(500 – 300 BC)

Empire Builders
(300BC – 1 AD) 

Ancient Pleasures, Modern Spice
(1 AD – 600 AD)

The Rise of World Faiths
(200 – 600 AD) 

The Silk Road and Beyond
(400 – 700 AD)

Inside the Palace: Secrets at Court
(700 – 950 AD)

Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders
(900 – 1300 AD)

Status Symbols
(1200 – 1400 AD) 

Meeting the Gods
(1200 – 1400 AD)

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

The First Global Economy
(1450 – 1600 AD)

Tolerance and Intolerance
(1550 – 1700 AD) 

Exploration, Exploitation and Enlightenment (1680 – 1820 AD)

Mass Production, Mass Persuasion
(1780 – 1914 AD) 

The World of Our Making
(1914 – 2010 AD)

Events

 

A History of the World: book launch

To mark the publication of the book of A History of the World in 100 Objects, Neil MacGregor discusses this engrossing and original approach to the telling of human history.
Play video 

 

Curator’s introduction to the 100th object in A History of the World

JD Hill, British Museum, explores why this particular object was chosen, and what it can
tell us.
Play audio 

Related links

A History of the World website 

Explore the objects timeline 

Read the blog