A History of the World in 100 Objects

BOOK: A History of the World in 100 Objects
9.95Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
VIKING
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
(a division of Penguin Books Ltd)
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell,
Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi – 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
 
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC 2R oRL, England
 
 
 
Copyright © the Trustees of the British Museum and the BBC, 2010 All rights reserved
 
Published by arrangement with the BBC and the British Museum
 
The BBC logo and the Radio 4 logo are registered trademarks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and
are used under license.
 
BBC logo copyright © BBC 1996
Radio 4 logo copyright © 2008
 
The British Museum logo is a registered trademark of the British Museum Company Limited and the unregistered mark of the Trustees of the British Museum and is used under license.
 
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint excerpts from the following copyrighted works: “Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea” by Stephen Sondheim, from
Pacific Overtures
. Copyright © Stephen Sondheim.
“Annus Mirabilis” from
Collected Poems
by Philip Larkin. Copyright © 1988, 2003 by the Estate of Philip Larkin. “In the Dreary Village” from
The Poems of C. P. Cavafy
, translated by John Mavrogordato. Copyright © C. P. Cavafy. P. Cavafy c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN.
 
Picture credits appear on page 683.
 
ISBN : 978-1-101-54530-0
 
 
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
 
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

http://us.penguingroup.com

Contents
 

Preface: Mission Impossible

Introduction: Signals from the Past

PART ONE
Making us Human
2,000,000–9000
BC

 

    
1
. Mummy of Hornedjitef

    
2
. Olduvai Stone Chopping Tool

    
3
. Olduvai Handaxe

    
4
. Swimming Reindeer

    
5
. Clovis Spear Point

PART TWO
After the Ice Age: Food and Sex
9000–3500
BC

 

    
6
. Bird-shaped Pestle

    
7
. Ain Sakhri Lovers Figurine

    
8
. Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle

    
9
. Maya Maize God Statue

  
10
. Jomon Pot

PART THREE
The First Cities and States
4000–2000
BC

 

  
11
. King Den’s Sandal Label

  
12
. Standard of Ur

  
13
. Indus Seal

  
14
. Jade Axe

  
15
. Early Writing Tablet

PART FOUR
The Beginnings of Science and Literature
2000–700
BC

 

  
16
. Flood Tablet

  
17
. Rhind Mathematical Papyrus

  
18
. Minoan Bull-leaper

  
19
. Mold Gold Cape

  
20
. Statue of Ramesses II

PART FIVE
Old World, New Powers
1100–300
BC

 

  
21
. Lachish Reliefs

  
22
. Sphinx of Taharqo

  
23
. Chinese Zhou Ritual Vessel

  
24
. Paracas

  
25
. Gold Coin of Croesus

PART SIX
The World in the Age of Confucius
500–300
BC

 

  
26
. Oxus Chariot Model

  
27
. Parthenon Sculpture: Centaur and Lapith

  
28
. Basse-Yutz Flagons

  
29
. Olmec Stone Mask

  
30
. Chinese Bronze Bell

PART SEVEN
Empire Builders
300
BC–AD
10

 

  
31
. Coin with Head of Alexander

  
32
. Pillar of Ashoka

  
33
. Rosetta Stone

  
34
. Chinese Han Lacquer Cup

  
35
. Head of Augustus

PART EIGHT
Ancient Pleasures, Modern Spice
AD
1–500

 

  
36
. Warren Cup

  
37
. North American Otter Pipe

  
38
. Ceremonial Ballgame Belt

  
39
. Admonitions Scroll

  
40
. Hoxne Pepper Pot

PART NINE
The Rise of World Faiths
AD
100–600

 

  
41
. Seated Buddha from Gandhara

  
42
. Gold Coins of Kumaragupta I

  
43
. Silver Plate showing Shapur II

  
44
. Hinton St Mary Mosaic

  
45
. Arabian Bronze Hand

PART TEN
The Silk Road and Beyond
AD
400–800

 

  
46
. Gold Coins of Abd al-Malik

  
47
. Sutton Hoo Helmet

  
48
. Moche Warrior Pot

  
49
. Korean Roof Tile

  
50
. Silk Princess Painting

PART ELEVEN
Inside the Palace: Secrets at Court
AD
700–900

 

  
51
. Maya Relief of Royal Blood-letting

  
52
. Harem Wall-painting Fragments

  
53
. Lothair Crystal

  
54
. Statue of Tara

  
55
. Chinese Tang Tomb Figures

PART TWELVE
Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders
AD
800–1300

 

  
56
. Vale of York Hoard

  
57
. Hedwig Glass Beaker

  
58
. Japanese Bronze Mirror

  
59
. Borobudur Buddha Head

  
60
. Kilwa Pot Sherds

PART THIRTEEN
Status Symbols
AD
1100–1500

 

  
61
. Lewis Chessmen

  
62
. Hebrew Astrolabe

  
63
. Ife Head

  
64
. The David Vases

  
65
. Taino Ritual Seat

PART FOURTEEN
Meeting the Gods
AD
1200–1500

 

  
66
. Holy Thorn Reliquary

  
67
. Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy

  
68
. Shiva and Parvati Sculpture

  
69
. Sculpture of Huastec Goddess

  
70
. Hoa Hakananai’a Easter Island Statue

PART FIFTEEN
The Threshold of the Modern World
AD
1375–1550

 

  
71
. Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

  
72
. Ming Banknote

  
73
. Inca Gold Llama

  
74.
Jade Dragon Cup

  
75
. Dürer’s
Rhinoceros

PART SIXTEEN
The First Global Economy
AD
1450–1650

Other books

Energized by Edward M. Lerner
Tender Vow by MacLaren, Sharlene
Site Unseen by Dana Cameron
Steal Me Away by Cerise Deland
Raiding With Morgan by Jim R. Woolard
One True Thing by Piper Vaughn
The Sword & Sorcery Anthology by David G. Hartwell, Jacob Weisman
The One by Diane Lee