Paracas Textile Fragment
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?
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Death
Discover more programmes from A History of the World in 100 Objects about death and ritual
Broadcasts
- Thu 18 Feb 201009:45BBC Radio 4 FM
- Thu 18 Feb 201019:45BBC Radio 4
- Fri 19 Feb 201000:30BBC Radio 4
- Thu 20 Aug 202013:45BBC Radio 4
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A History of the World in 100 Objects
Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells humanity's history through objects
