Lord Elgin and the Parthenon Sculptures,...

This 2021 episode covers William Palmer, who was convicted in 1855 as a poisoner though there wasn't any hard evidence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Tracy talks about the frequency of news from research institutions getting reported years after the fact. She also clears up a misunderstanding Holly had about a painting that was discussed this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Part two of the autumn 2026 edition of Unearthed! kicks off with the catch-all potpourri category, then covers edibles and potables, shipwrecks, art, and Halloween-appropriate topics. Research: Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscr ... Show More

<p>The Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, are some of the most controversial museum objects in the world. In the early 19th century the Scottish aristocrat Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, used his position as Ambassador Extraordinary to the Ottoman Em ... Show More

The Parthenon Sculptures have been hugely controversial objects from the moment that they arrived in England. The British public has long been split over the morality of keeping these famous works of art in London. In the early 1800's the famous poet Lord Byron went so far as to ... Show More

Who owns stolen art? Today on the show, the bloody journey of a Benin Bronze from West Africa to the halls of one of England's most elite universities — a tale of imperialism, betrayal, and the making of the modern world.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an ... Show More

In 2023, Anderson Cooper reported that a large number of antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection had come to the world-class museum by way of theft. Ancient art had been looted from Cambodian temples fifty years ago and the Cambodian Government wanted them back ... Show More

In this classic episode, we finish revisiting our 2017 tour of the best sights of the ancient world when we get deep into the history of a lighthouse that stood for 1200 years, an unsettling statue of Zeus, the world’s first mausoleum, and Chuck’s favorite, the Colossus of Rhodes ... Show More

They’ve seen wars, the bottom of the ocean and even - bizarrely - been part of a boxing match.The story of how the Parthenon Marbles actually ended up in London’s British Museum is a wild tale featuring bribes, court cases and some extremely dodgy deals.  There’s been a centuries ... Show More

In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, classicist Natalie Haynes tackles listener questions on Greek myths. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, she examines the tales of popular figures including Hercules and Aphrodite, and explores how these ancient stories hav ... Show More

Greece says Britain should return sculptures taken from the Acropolis and a Turkish archeological dig uncovers Roman churches, temples, and canals. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can dona ... Show More