Under A Metal Sky By Philip Marsden

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Aerolite

20250220

20250221 (R4)

Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the story of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world.

In the fourth episode, Philip visits Prague and investigates the history of alchemy. In Prague Castle, he explores the mineral collection of the 16th-century Habsburg ruler Rudolf II, who lived at a time when the line between magic and science was still blurred. The precious stones in his collection were thought to be a source of power and a source of life.

Those beliefs in alchemy were discredited in the scientific revolution that followed. But did we lose a useful way of interpreting the world at the same time?

Read by Adrian Lukis

Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville

Editor: Jo Rowntree

Studio Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history.

Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Beginnings

20250217

20250218 (R4)

Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the history of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world.

In the first episode, Philip reveals the beginnings of his fascination with geology as he encountered the wonders of a hidden world as a young boy. It was the start of a quest that was spiritual as well as physical.

He also explores man's discovery of ochre - the medium that gave birth to art in cave paintings and the earliest abstract thought. The creative possibilities of ochre marked the beginning of a search for other materials buried underground that would bring even greater rewards, and also dangers, for civilization.

Read by Adrian Lukis

Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville

Editor: Jo Rowntree

Studio Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history.

Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Bronze

20250218

20250219 (R4)

Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the history of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world.

In the second episode, Philip explores the revolutionary discovery of bronze. It was a leap forward in technology and the beginnings of a globalisation that joined up the world through trade and an exchange of knowledge.

He tells the story of the Nebra Sky Disc, one of Europe's earliest bronze artefacts. It is the first ever representation of the sky, a tool for Bronze Age man to interpret the heavens that remained buried until it was discovered by a metal detector enthusiast more than 20 years ago. As a symbol of cosmic law, it is a clue to the earliest beliefs about the universe and the primary importance of metal in shaping those ideas.

Read by Adrian Lukis

Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville

Editor: Jo Rowntree

Studio Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history.

Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Gold

20250221

20250222 (R4)

In the final episode, Philip travels to Georgia, home of the legend of the Golden Fleece. The quest for the fleece is the origin story of countless heroic tales, down to Star Wars and Harry Potter. The search for gold itself represents the ultimate reward - a symbol of status and value.

In Svaneti, a region known for its gold, he finds two locals who take him panning for gold in the river. As he catches a few grains, the excitement of his childhood explorations searching for rocks returns, a fascination that has shaped his journey across Europe to follow the story of metals.

Read by Adrian Lukis

Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville

Editor: Jo Rowntree

Studio Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history.

Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Radium

20250219

20250220 (R4)

In the third episode, Philip reveals how radium shook the world. He explores the early mania for radium when it was first discovered - marketed in hair tonics and face creams - and the first signs that it was also a deadly material. Never before had a metal offered so much possibility and so much danger.

He travels to the mining town of Jáchymov in the Czech Republic, the first source of radium ore and still a spa destination for people seeking a cure from its waters. Just as the discovery of bronze changed the nature of warfare thousands of years before, radium introduced an unprecedented possibility for conflict.

In a series of evocative encounters, Philip Marsden meets one of the last miners in Jáchymov and visits the remains of a Soviet camp where prisoners mined uranium in Stalin's race to create a nuclear arsenal. This was where the atomic age was born and this was where the early hopes for radium as some kind of miracle cure-all ended.

Read by Adrian Lukis

Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville

Editor: Jo Rowntree

Studio Engineer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history.

Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Aerolite	20250220	20250221 (R4)	Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the story of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world. In the fourth episode, Philip visits Prague and investigates the history of alchemy. In Prague Castle, he explores the mineral collection of the 16th-century Habsburg ruler Rudolf II, who lived at a time when the line between magic and science was still blurred. The precious stones in his collection were thought to be a source of power and a source of life. Those beliefs in alchemy were discredited in the scientific revolution that followed. But did we lose a useful way of interpreting the world at the same time? Read by Adrian Lukis Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville Editor: Jo Rowntree Studio Engineer: Jon Calver A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history. Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia. [LISTEN NOW]
Beginnings	20250217	20250218 (R4)	Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the history of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world. In the first episode, Philip reveals the beginnings of his fascination with geology as he encountered the wonders of a hidden world as a young boy. It was the start of a quest that was spiritual as well as physical. He also explores man's discovery of ochre - the medium that gave birth to art in cave paintings and the earliest abstract thought. The creative possibilities of ochre marked the beginning of a search for other materials buried underground that would bring even greater rewards, and also dangers, for civilization. Read by Adrian Lukis Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville Editor: Jo Rowntree Studio Engineer: Jon Calver A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history. Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia. [LISTEN NOW]
Bronze	20250218	20250219 (R4)	Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the history of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world. In the second episode, Philip explores the revolutionary discovery of bronze. It was a leap forward in technology and the beginnings of a globalisation that joined up the world through trade and an exchange of knowledge. He tells the story of the Nebra Sky Disc, one of Europe's earliest bronze artefacts. It is the first ever representation of the sky, a tool for Bronze Age man to interpret the heavens that remained buried until it was discovered by a metal detector enthusiast more than 20 years ago. As a symbol of cosmic law, it is a clue to the earliest beliefs about the universe and the primary importance of metal in shaping those ideas. Read by Adrian Lukis Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville Editor: Jo Rowntree Studio Engineer: Jon Calver A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history. Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia. [LISTEN NOW]
Gold	20250221	20250222 (R4)	Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the story of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world. In the final episode, Philip travels to Georgia, home of the legend of the Golden Fleece. The quest for the fleece is the origin story of countless heroic tales, down to Star Wars and Harry Potter. The search for gold itself represents the ultimate reward - a symbol of status and value. In Svaneti, a region known for its gold, he finds two locals who take him panning for gold in the river. As he catches a few grains, the excitement of his childhood explorations searching for rocks returns, a fascination that has shaped his journey across Europe to follow the story of metals. Read by Adrian Lukis Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville Editor: Jo Rowntree Studio Engineer: Jon Calver A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history. Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia. [LISTEN NOW]
Radium	20250219	20250220 (R4)	Philip Marsden's passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the story of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world. In the third episode, Philip reveals how radium shook the world. He explores the early mania for radium when it was first discovered - marketed in hair tonics and face creams - and the first signs that it was also a deadly material. Never before had a metal offered so much possibility and so much danger. He travels to the mining town of Jáchymov in the Czech Republic, the first source of radium ore and still a spa destination for people seeking a cure from its waters. Just as the discovery of bronze changed the nature of warfare thousands of years before, radium introduced an unprecedented possibility for conflict. In a series of evocative encounters, Philip Marsden meets one of the last miners in Jáchymov and visits the remains of a Soviet camp where prisoners mined uranium in Stalin's race to create a nuclear arsenal. This was where the atomic age was born and this was where the early hopes for radium as some kind of miracle cure-all ended. Read by Adrian Lukis Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville Editor: Jo Rowntree Studio Engineer: Jon Calver A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 A journey through the landscape of metals and how they transformed human history. Philip Marsden explores the story of man's relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia. [LISTEN NOW]