The British Museum celebrates 225 years: what's on

As the British Museum celebrates 225 years, we take a look at what you can go and see at this London-based institution
Emily Jupp15 January 2014

The British Museum turns 225 today, but the old codger is still going strong, with several beautiful collections on display this year.

NOW

Until Sun Mar 23

A fascinating exhibition of ancient Colombian gold artefacts crafted with incredible precision and detail. These beautiful objects give an insight into cultures spanning from 1600 BC to AD 1700 and their relationship with the natural world. Gold was not valued as currency but had symbolic meaning and some people believed it could provide a conduit for spiritual and physical transformation. Learn more about the stories behind the exhibition.

Until mid-Feb

See famous finds from the Anglo-Saxon ship burial site at Sutton Hoo.

Until Sun Apr 27

You may have heard of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's seminal work, Thus Spake Zarathustra. You might even have thumbed its densely written pages and gathered that God is dead and superhumans will rule the world... or something. But did you know that Zarathustra was a prophet and that an ancient religion, based around his teachings, lives on today? Thought not. Get ye to the British Museum to find out more.

COMING UP

Mar 6-Jun 22

This exhibition will feature Viking objects never seen before in the UK that shed new light on Viking culture. The focus is on the Vikings' role as 'raiders and traders'; contact with other cultures was often violent and the Vikings were extensive travellers, transporting goods and slaves from their Scandinavian homelands to the Caspian Sea and the North Atlantic.

Sep 18-Jan 4 2015

From 1400 to 1450 AD, the Ming Empire was reaching out to the rest of the world, through embassies, an assertive military policy, and court-sponsored maritime expeditions. Through beautifully preserved objects and new archaeological finds, this exhibition seeks to explain the social and cultural changes in China around the time and its complex relationships with Europe and Asia, as well as its internal hierarchies including multiple princes and emperors.

The British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, britishmuseum.org

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