Vol 4 Ep 84 - Easter Island

1526 - Some battles determine who controls a territory. Others reshape an entire continent. In 1526, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire met on the plains of Mohács in a confrontation born of ambition, fear, and decades of conflict. Why did this battle take place, and w ...  Show more

A bonus for the HOTWorld podcast schedule. We feature one of the episodes of our sister podcast "History of the World podcast timelines" that currently explores the lives and careers of each of the US presidents since its independence. In this episode, we explore the life and tim ...  Show more

On one of the world’s most isolated islands, hundreds of vast stone statues lie mouldering in the grass. In this episode, we take a look at one of archaeology’s most enduring puzzles: the mystery of Easter Island. Find out how this unique community grew up in complete isolation, ...  Show more

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the sophisticated ways in which people connected to gods and ancestors in the Middle Ages. He is looking at religious images from India, France, Mexico and Turkey. Today - in the last programme of the second series - he is with one of the mos ...  Show more

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, over 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, lies one of the world’s most iconic archaeological treasure troves - Rapa Nui, known to the outside world as Easter Island. Famed for the towering stone faces of the moai, the island has u ...

First inhabited by the Rapa Nui people a thousand years ago, Easter Island is best known for its hundreds of giant stone statues. But what inspired a group of ancient Polynesian explorers to settle in such a remote spot in the South Pacific? How did they almost bring their own co ...  Show more