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Bearing Gifts

The history and politics of gift-giving

Not just for Christmas and birthdays - gift-giving has been an act of friendship, religious observance, and political patronage, throughout history.

"Gifts were a cornerstone of foreign diplomacy and the terminology is carefully phrased, so when the Romans paid-off the barbarians to keep them away, it was always phrased as 'generous gifts'" says archaeologist Ida Johansen.

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29 minutes

±«Óătv World Service Archive

This programme was restored as part of the World Service archive project