Blog

Enjoy the latest news and stories from the British Museum.

Bookcase with objects, trinkets and books on shelves.
Exhibitions and events / 8 June 2026

Introduction to 'Korea'

Sang-ah Kim explores 2,000 years of Korean art, revealing how global connections have shaped Korea's cultural identity today.
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Tasha Marks in a kitchen with some objects related to the history of sugar
Museum stories / 13 June 2018

The story of sugar in 5 objects

The fun and frivolity of sweet foods is underpinned a dark history. Tasha Marks explores our complex relationship with sugar.
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Three women gather around a large ceramic jar holding drinking straws
Museum stories / 25 May 2018

A sip of history: ancient Egyptian beer

Food historian Tasha Marks invites brewers Michaela Charles and Susan Boyle to help her recreate a 5,000-year-old beer.
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A portable X-ray fluorescence machine aimed at the Parthenon sculptures.
Exhibitions and events / 23 May 2018

Paint and the Parthenon: conservation of ancient Greek sculpture

Conservator Kasia Weglowska takes a closer look at ancient colour recently discovered on the Parthenon sculptures.
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Tasha Marks and Paul Young in a kitchen. They are both holding a cup of chocolate.
Museum stories / 18 May 2018

The 18th-century chocolate champions

Food historian Tasha Marks explores the chocolate heyday of London and recreates Sir Hans Sloane's hot chocolate recipe.
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Tasha Marks and Dr Jennifer Evans in a kitchen surrounded by food and cooking utensils.
Museum stories / 11 May 2018

Baked beans to ambergris: the top 5 weird and wonderful aphrodisiacs

As part of our series on 'pleasant vices', food historian Tasha Marks shares her top 5 aphrodisiacs from the British Museum's collection.
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Trumpet made of conch shell with copper, gilt copper alloy and semi precious stones. Metal pendant with dragon motif.
Museum stories / 5 April 2018

A history of world music in 15 instruments

Music has always been integral to life around the world. Discover 15 extraordinary instruments from history that hit just the right note!
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Aerial view of the bridge, vehicles parked at site, city in background
Museum stories / 4 April 2018

The world's oldest bridge is being preserved in Iraq

The world's oldest bridge, located in the south of Iraq, will be saved due to the Museum's pioneering emergency heritage management project.
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Rows of Assyrian letters on cuneiform tablets, some labeled in boxes
Curator's corner / 2 April 2018

Trade and contraband in ancient Assyria

Venture into the secret world of Assyrian smugglers and merchants 4,000 years ago, and discover their cunning plans to avoid paying taxes!
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The domed ceiling of the British Museum's round reading room, with bookshelves and desks below
Museum stories / 28 March 2018

The Round Reading Room at the British Museum

Archivist Francesca Hillier takes a look at the iconic Round Reading Room at the centre of the British Museum's Bloomsbury building.
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A young woman below a tall elm tree gestures towards a young man on the other side of the tree.
Objects in focus / 21 March 2018

Illustrating poetry on a 12th-century Chinese handscroll

Curator Yu-ping Luk takes a closer look at a remarkable painted scroll that illustrates scenes from early Chinese poetry.
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Baby carrier made from wood and decorated with yellow, black, white and red beads
Objects in focus / 16 March 2018

International women collectors

Sushma Jansari looks at the lives of four women collectors, and some of the objects they collected that are now in the British Museum.
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Jacob Lawrence, General Toussaint L'Ouverture, dressed in a red military uniform and hat with a large cockade
Exhibitions and events / 12 March 2018

Visualising Toussaint Louverture

Professor Charles Forsdick introduces the history of the Haitian Revolution and discusses visual images of its leader, Toussaint Louverture.
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