The extraordinary history of ordinary things

The Bayeux Tapestry is coming home to England for an exhibition at the British Museum. In discussion with Dave Musgrove, Gale Owen-Crocker explains how the Tapestry was made, and why she thinks it contains a hidden story of injustice and tyranny – subverting the obvious celebrato ...  Show more

What threats might you have faced on a daily basis in England in the 1300s? In this episode, Ian Mortimer guides Charlotte Vosper through a day in the 14th century and argues that it would have been surprisingly difficult to stay alive... From struggling to put food on the table ...  Show more

Strange things are floating around in history, from people to objects. Here are a couple of new editions to the Cabinet.

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Learning about things that happened in the past can generate a sense of wonder. And these two stories are bound to do just that.

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We think of history as a neat chain of predictable events; but what if the truth is far wilder than that? Today, we're talking about the pivotal forces of randomness and chance, and how tiny moments can change the course of our human story.

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Origin stories are often curious, and these two tales are guaranteed to entertain.

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