Pieces of eight

Pieces of eight

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week he is exploring the world between 1450 and 1600 - looking at what was happening in South America, Africa and Japan at the time of the great European age of discovery. He has looked at the new ocean going galleons that were being built in Europe at this time and today he describes the money that was being used to fuel the great new trade routes of the period. He is with pieces of eight, little silver coins that by 1600 could have been used in many countries around the world. Neil describes Spain's dominance in South America and their discovery of a silver mountain in Potosi in present day Bolivia. He describes the process by which pieces of eight turned into the first truly global money. The Bolivian former head of a UNESCO project in Potosi describes the conditions for workers there today and the financial historian William Bernstein looks at how these rough silver coins were to shift the entire balance of world commerce.

Producer: Anthony Denselow

Episoder(101)

Reformation Centenary Broadsheet

Reformation Centenary Broadsheet

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things that time has left behind. This week Neil is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across the globe around 400 years ago...

1 Okt 201013min

Mexican Codex Map

Mexican Codex Map

The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London. This week Neil MacGregor is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across the gl...

30 Sep 201014min

Shadow Puppet of Bima

Shadow Puppet of Bima

The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is in South East Asia. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is with the objects from acros...

29 Sep 201014min

Miniature of a Mughal Prince

Miniature of a Mughal Prince

This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is looking at the co-existence of faiths - peaceful or otherwise - across the globe around 400 years ago. Today he is in one of the great Islamic empire...

28 Sep 201014min

Shi'a Religious Parade Standard

Shi'a Religious Parade Standard

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the development and co-existence of faiths across the globe around 400 years ago, looking at objects from India and Cen...

27 Sep 201014min

Kakiemon elephants

Kakiemon elephants

The history of humanity as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London is this week exploring the world at the time of European discovery - between 1450 and 1600. Today Neil Mac...

23 Sep 201013min

Double-headed serpent

Double-headed serpent

The history of humanity - as told through one hundred objects from the British Museum in London - is back in South America. This week Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, is with objects from around...

22 Sep 201013min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-katastrofe
historier-som-endret-norge
henrettelsespodden
rss-benadet
sektledere
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-historiske-romanser
med-egne-oyne
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-gamle-greier
historiepodden
liberal-halvtime
historiepodden-ww2
vare-historier
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
rss-historiepodden-ww2