Bbc Podcasts: Episode 37: North American Otter Pipe 25 May 2010

Stone pipe shaped as an otter and used in ritual tobacco-smoking. The pipe is one of hundreds shaped as animals that were found in huge mounds in present-day Ohio. Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, pieces together the evidence for how these pipes were used. Former MP Tony Benn considers the allure of smoking, while Native American historian Gabrielle Tayac describes how the pipe formed a central role in traditional life. (Duration: 15 mins)