A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100 OBJECTS Neil MacGregor THE EBB RADI a BRITISH ° MUSEUM 92-95 FM ALLEN LANE an imprint of PENGUIN BOOKS Contents Preface: Mission Impossible xiii Introduction: Signals from the Past xv PART ONE Making us Human 2,000,000-9000 BC 1. Mummy of Hornedj itef 2 2. Olduvai Stone Chopping Tool 9 3. Olduvai Handaxe 15 4. Swimming Reindeer 19 5. Clovis Spear Point 26 PART TWO After the Ice Age: Food and Sex 9000-3500 BC 6. Bird-shaped Pestle 32 7. Ain Sakhri Lovers Figurine 37 8. Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle 43 9. Maya Maize God Statue 49 10. JomonPot 55 PART THREE The First Cities and States 4OOO-2OOO BC 11. King Den's Sandal Label 62 12. Standard of Ur 68 i). Indus Seal 78 14. Jade Axe 84 ij\ Early Writing Tablet 90 Vll CONTENTS PART FOUR The Beginnings of Science and Literature 2000-700 BC 16. Flood Tablet 96 iy. Rhind Mathematical Papyrus 102 18. Minoan Bull-leaper 111 19. Mold Gold Cape 117 20. Statue of Ramesses II 124 PART FIVE Old World, New Powers IIOO-3OO BC 21. Lachish Reliefs 132 22. Sphinx of Taharqo 140 23. Chinese Zhou Ritual Vessel 146 24. ParacasTextile 153 25. Gold Coin of Croesus 158 PART six The World in the Age of Confucius 500-300 BC 2.6. Oxus Chariot Model 164 27. Parthenon Sculpture: Centaur and Lapith 171 28. Basse-Yutz Flagons 177 29. Olmec Stone Mask 183 30. Chinese Bronze Bell 190 PART SEVEN Empire Builders 300 BC-AD 10 31. Coin with Head of Alexander 196 32. Pillar of Ashoka 203 33. Rosetta Stone 209 14. Chinese Han Lacquer Cup 215 35. Head of Augustus 221 CONTENTS PART EIGHT Ancient Pleasures, Modern Spice AD 1-500 3 6. Warren Cup 228 •3,-j. North American Otter Pipe 235 38. Ceremonial Ballgame Belt 241 •2,<). Admonitions Scroll 248 40. Hoxne Pepper Pot 256 PART NINE The Rise of World Faiths AD 100-600 41. Seated Buddha from Gandhara 264 42. Gold Coins of Kumaragupta I 269 43. Silver Plate showing Shapur II 276 44. Hinton St Mary Mosaic 281 45. Arabian Bronze Hand 287 PART TEN The Silk Road and Beyond AD 400-800 46. Gold Coins of Abd al-Malik 294 47. Sutton Hoo Helmet 301 48. Moche Warrior Pot 307 49. Korean Roof Tile 313 50. Silk Princess Painting 318 PART ELEVEN Inside the Palace: Secrets at Court AD 700-900 51. Maya Relief of Royal Blood-letting 326 j 2. Harem Wall-painting Fragments 333 53. Lothair Crystal 339 54. Statue of Tar a 345 5 5. Chinese Tang Tomb Figures _ 351 IX CONTENTS PART TWELVE Pilgrims, Raiders and Traders AD 800-1300 56. Vale of York Hoard 360 $y. Hedwig Glass Beaker 366 j8. Japanese Bronze Mirror 372 59. Borobudur Buddha Head 378 60. Kilwa Pot Sherds 385 PART THIRTEEN Status Symbols AD IIOO-I5OO 61. Lewis Chessmen 392 62. Hebrew Astrolabe 398 63. IfeHead 404 64. The David Vases 410 6j. Taino Ritual Seat 416 PART FOURTEEN Meeting the Gods AD 1200-1500 66. Holy Thorn Reliquary 424 67. Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy 431 68. Shiva and Parvati Sculpture 437 69. Sculpture of Huastec Goddess 443 jo. Hoa Hakananai'a Easter Island Statue 449 PART FIFTEEN The Threshold of the Modern World AD 1375-155° 71. Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent 458 72. Ming Banknote 464 73. Inca Gold Llama 470 74. Jade Dragon Cup 476 7j. Diirer's Rhinoceros 482 CONTENTS PART SIXTEEN The First Global Economy AD I45O-165O 76. Mechanical Galleon 490 7J. Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans 497 78. Double-headed Serpent 503 79. Kakiemon Elephants 510 So. Pieces of Eight 516 PART SEVENTEEN Tolerance and Intolerance AD 1550-1700 81. Shi'a Religious Parade Standard 524 82. Miniature of a Mughal Prince 532 83. Shadow Puppet of Bima 538 84. Mexican Codex Map 545 85. Reformation Centenary Broadsheet 552 PART EIGHTEEN Exploration, Exploitation and Enlightenment AD 1680-1820 86. AkanDrum 560 87. Hawaiian Feather Helmet 566 88. North American Buckskin Map 572 89. Australian Bark Shield 580 90. Jade Bi 586 PART NINETEEN Mass Production, Mass Persuasion AD I78O-I9I4 91. Ship's Chronometer from HMS Beagle 594 92. Early Victorian Tea Set 600 93. Hokusai's The Great Wave 606 94. Sudanese Slit Drum 613 95. Suffragette-defaced Penny 620 CONTENTS PART TWENTY The World of our Making AD 1914-2010 96. Russian Revolutionary Plate 628 97- Hockney's In the Dull Village 634 98. Throne of Weapons 640 99- Credit Card 646 100. Solar-powered Lamp and Charger 652 Maps 659 List of Objects 668 Bibliography 671 References 679 Picture Credits and Text Acknowledgements 683 Acknowledgements 684 Index 687 Xll.