A million years of human ingenuity: Objects of the world

BBC Radio 4 took a hundred man made objects (from across the ages), that were a part of the British Museum collection and translated these into one hundred radio programmes, each tackling one object and lasting fifteen minutes each. These were broadcast in a chronological order in three tranches across 2010. Take a look at some of these objects and (probably) feel good that you are human.

Making Us Human (2,000,000 – 9000 BC)

Olduvai hand axe, one of the earliest human tools.

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

The Maize God, a Mayan sculpture which shows how religion is linked to farming and fertility.

The First Cities and States (4000 – 2000 BC)

Early writing tablet inscribed with cuneiform.

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

Minoan Bull Leaper: From the island of Crete and used in a shrine or a cave sanctuary.

Old World, New Powers (1100 – 300 BC)

The gold Croesus coin: Regarded as the first form of modern currency, from Turkey.

The Zhou ritual bowl: Contains an inscription which provides historians with an account of a crucial transformation period in China.

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

Olmec stone mask: Olmecs are the earliest Central American civilisation and they laid the foundations for subsequent societies.

Empire Builders (300BC – 1 AD)

The Rosetta Stone: Advancing the understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphic script.

The bust of Augustus: Comes from a statue put up on the southern frontier of the Roman Empire in Egypt.

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

Hoxne pepper pot: Part of the Hoxne hoard, the largest Roman treasure ever discovered. A pepper pot in the form of a Roman noble woman.

The Rise of World Faiths (200 – 600 AD)

Arabian bronze hand: This bronze hand was given as an offering to the god Talab Riyam in a temple in pre-Islamic Yemen.

The Silk Road and Beyond (400 – 700 AD)

Sutton Hoo helmet: An Anglo-Saxon treasure found in the Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk.

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

Tang tomb figures: Twelve figures were buried in the tomb of the Tang general Liu Tingxun. From China.

Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders (900 – 1300 AD)

Kilwa pot sherds: These broken pieces of pots were found on the shores of Kilwa Kiswani, an island off Tanzania, which was once home to a major medieval African port.

Status Symbols (1200 – 1400 AD)

The Lewis Chessmen: Walrus ivory, whale teeth, Norway. Found on the Hebrides. Were used by the elite.

Meeting the Gods (1200 – 1400 AD)

Shiva and Parvati sculpture: Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati are depicted in this temple sculpture from Orissa, India.

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

Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent: A decorative monogram representing the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, speaks of wealth and authority.

Durer’s print – ‘Rhinoceros’: Woodcut, Germany. A story of exploration and technology.

The First Global Economy (1450 – 1600 AD)

Kakiemon Elephants: Porcelain, Japan. These were shipped to Europe by the multinational Dutch East India Company, the only business allowed to trade with Japan.

Tolerance and Intolerance (1550 – 1700 AD)

Mexican codex map: This map was made fifty years after the Spanish conquered the Aztecs. It is a property plan illustrating the foundation of two towns in the region of Tlaxcala, Mexico. Painted bark.

Exploration, Exploitation and Enlightenment (1680 – 1820 AD)

(L ) The Akan drum: Wood and animal skin, West Africa. Used by plantation slaves and (R) a feather helmet, Hawaii.

(L) Buckskin map: Drawn by a native American and (R) the Jade bi is from the Qing dynasty’s own enlightenment. China.

Mass Production, Mass Persuasion (1780 – 1914 AD)

Hokusai’s The Great Wave: Woodblock print, Japan. This was painted at a time when Japan was worried about foreign incursions after its centuries of seclusion.

(L) Early Victorian tea set: Stoneware and silver, Britain. and (R) the Sudanese Slit Drum: Coralwood, Central Africa. This was used by militants in Khartoum.

The World of Our Making (1914 – 2010 AD)

The Throne of Weapons: This chair was made of decommissioned guns encapsulates the post-war history of Mozambique.

(L) David Hockney’s ‘In The Dull Village’: Etching, Britain. This was produced just as homosexuality was finding public prominence and acceptance and (R) Russian revolutionary plate. Porcelain. Give us this day our daily bread.