For this week's "Website of the Week" I've chosen the homepage of the 'History of the World in 100 Objects' series, a BBC and British Museum project broadcast on BBC Radio 4. If you havn't heard about this project then I highly recommend a visit to this website; the whole series of programmes, grouped thematically, are accessible as podcasts which can be saved to your computer, and there is also an interactive timeline which allows the visitor to filter the '100 Objects' by e.g. location, material, size and culture.
The wide range of objects included in the series include items of personal adornment, stone tools, sculpture and architectural elements, ranging from 2,000,000BC to the present day. This useful tool is not only beneficial for members of the interested public but also acts as a quick reference for students of archaeology and related subjects. Another interesting feature of the site is the 'Featured Museum' - a focus on a local museum involved with the project - proving that objects of cultural and historical importance can also be found in smaller local museums across the country.
The website offers the opportunity for the public to add their objects to the list, and to participate in the series of related events due to take place in museums across the country. Dr. Neil MacGregor has published the companion volume with the same title, which I also highly recommend. If you'd like to learn more about World History in an interesting, engaging setting, then this is the site for you.
I loved this series, although having James Dyson tell me about the ergonomics of acheulian handaxes grated a little.
ReplyDeleteThe local museum and individual submissions to their site is great though.