A History of the World

A digital museum telling a history of the world through objects

Mummy of Hornedjitef Today's object: Mummy of Hornedjitef British Museum Mummy and coffins of a priest who lived over 1,000 years after Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great.

Weekly theme Weekly theme: Making us human Looking at the first stone tools and how making and using these objects allowed humans to evolve and adapt to different environments.

Listening to podcast Download A History of the World in 100 Objects Collect the whole series. Save individual episodes to your computer or sign up to the podcast and download them all at once for free. See all 100 objects | Download every episode

Across the UK

  1. Hundreds of museums and organisations have added objects to the site.

    See objects from UK museums

  1. Map of AHOTW museums
    Lesson and activities for schools

A History of the World on Facebook

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Antiques Roadshow

  1. Antiques Roadshow

    Find the objects uploaded at our stalls at Antiques Roadshow events

    Beverley

    Blair Castle

    British Museum

    Chatsworth House

    Hatfield

    Hutton

    St Fagan's

    Tatton

History across the BBC

  1. History on Radio 4

    BBC Radio 4

    In Our Time, Making History, Archive Hour, Great Lives

  2. BBC History

    BBC History

    Ancient history, Archaeology, British history timeline

  3. Hands on History

    Hands On History

    activities across the UK

History across the web

  1. Culture24

    Culture 24

  2. People's collection Wales

    People's Collection Wales

A History of the World

This site uses objects to tell a history of the world. You’ll find 100 objects from the British Museum and hundreds more from museums and people across the UK.

Objects from 2 million years ago to the present day.

START YOUR JOURNEY NOW
View the objects in a list

Highlights from the collection

Object selection

  1. Local Museum Child's Wooden Chair

    Child's Wooden Chair

  2. Local Museum Achavrail Armlet

    Achavrail Armlet

  3. Local Museum Horn Spoon

    Horn Spoon

Topics - find objects on a theme

  1. Ancient Rome

    Ancient Rome

  2. Food

    Food

  3. Sport

    Sport

See all Topics (20)

What's my object?

  1. BBC One

    Richard Curtis chose a charity single, Simon Mayo a bar of soap and Edith Bowman picks a cap.

    Watch a video

BBC iD

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