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Gifts to the Gods

Why offerings to Gods became part of cultural practise for the Muisca population and ancient Greeks

High in the Andes in Colombia, the indigenous Muisca population consigned highly-wrought gold figurines to the waters of Lake Guatavita – offerings which they would never see again.

Records of the treasures stored in the Parthenon, Athens, dating from around 400BC, reveal numerous gifts for the goddess Athena - gifts with a double role. The Parthenon was also a kind of central bank, capable of operating as a lender of last resort, creating an intimate connection between the temple of a goddess and the finance of the state.

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18 minutes

Last on

Sun 21 Jan 2018 19:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 21 Jan 2018 03:32GMT
  • Sun 21 Jan 2018 19:32GMT

Animations

Neil MacGregor tells the stories of some of the key objects in the series.

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