A History of the World in 100 ObjectsPenguin, 2011 M10 27 - 736 pages "An enthralling and profoundly humane book that every civilized person should read." --The Wall Street Journal The blockbuster New York Times bestseller and the companion volume to the wildly popular radio series When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated, and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities, and what made them succeed? Who developed math--or invented money? |
From inside the book
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... years, and observes the same phenomenon. But in thesecasesthe similaritiesand coincidences are easierto explain. The sphinx of Taharqo (Chapter 22), the head of Augustus from Meroë (Chapter 35) and the slit drum from Khartoum (Chapter 94)
... explains much about the politics of today. Spinning the globe also,Ithink,shows how different history looks depending onwhoyou areand where youare looking from. So although allthe objectsin the bookarenow inone place, it deliberately ...
... people tolive togetherand changed not justhow theylived buthow they thought. New gods were developedto explain animal behaviour andtheseasonal cycles of crops. 6 Bird-shaped Pestle Stone pestle, found by the Aikora River,OroProvince,
... explains, their importance went even deeper: Cattlehave always had religious significance, both the bulls and thecows. In thedesert a cow was the source oflife, and we have many representations in rock art where we seecows with their ...
... each new growingseason. John Staller, an anthropologist andthe author ofHistories of Maize,explains why the maize god was so appealing for rich and powerful patrons, like the rulers who commissioned our sculpture: The elite.
Contents
Hinton St Mary Mosaic | |
Arabian Bronze Hand | |
The Silk Road and Beyond | |
Ife Head | |
The David Vases | |
Taino Ritual Seat | |
PART FOURTEEN Meeting the Gods AD 12001500 | |
Holy Thorn Reliquary | |
PART THREE The First Cities andStates | |
King Dens Sandal Label | |
Standard of | |
Indus Seal 14 Jade Axe 15 Early WritingTablet PART FOUR The Beginnings of Science and Literature 2000700 | |
Flood Tablet | |
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus | |
Minoan Bullleaper | |
Mold Gold Cape | |
Statue of Ramesses II | |
PART FIVE Old WorldNewPowers 1100300BC | |
Lachish Reliefs 22 Sphinx ofTaharqo 23 Chinese Zhou Ritual Vessel | |
Paracas | |
Gold Coin of Croesus | |
PART SIX The World in the Age of Confucius 500300 | |
Centaurand Lapith 28 BasseYutz Flagons | |
Olmec Stone Mask | |
Chinese Bronze Bell | |
Coin with Head of Alexander | |
Pillar of Ashoka | |
Rosetta Stone | |
Chinese Han Lacquer | |
35 | |
Augustus PART EIGHT | |
North American Otter Pipe | |
Ceremonial Ballgame Belt | |
Admonitions | |
Hoxne Pepper | |
PART NINE | |
Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy | |
Shiva and Parvati Sculpture | |
Sculpture of Huastec Goddess | |
Hoa Hakananaia Easter IslandStatue | |
PART FIFTEEN The Threshold of the Modern World AD 13751550 | |
Tughra of Suleimanthe Magnificent 72 Ming Banknote | |
Inca Gold Llama | |
Jade Dragon | |
Dürers Rhinoceros | |
PART SIXTEEN | |
Tolerance and Intolerance | |
The Oba with Europeans 78 Doubleheaded Serpent 79 Elephants 80 Pieces of Eight | |
Shia Religious Parade Standard | |
Miniature of a Mughal Prince | |
Shadow Puppet of Bima | |
PART EIGHTEEN Exploration Exploitation and Enlightenment | |
Hawaiian Feather Helmet | |
North American Buckskin | |
Australian BarkShield | |
PART NINETEEN | |
AD 17801914 91 Ships Chronometer from HMS Beagle | |
Sudanese Slit Drum | |
Suffragettedefaced Penny | |
PART TWENTY The World of our Making | |
Maps | |
Listof Objects | |
References | |