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Within its colossal structure, the British Museum houses a collection of over eight million objects that paint an interconnected portrait of the world's cultures. Whether those cultures like it or not. 

The matter of whether or not the British Museum should return looted objects has been in constant debate, but despite pressures from the likes of Unesco, the museum continues to make its excuses. 

With this in mind, Vice World News has worked with Dentsu Webchutney on "The unfiltered history tour" – an unofficial guide that offers insight into the history of 10 iconic items via an interactive mobile site and a 10-part podcast series. 

The off-the-beaten-track tour encourages visitors to use Instagram filters and immersive audio to scan objects, from Egypt's Rosetta Stone to Greece's so-called Elgin Marbles, to unlock an augmented reality (AR) experience.

Other artefacts featured in the tour include Hoa Hakananai from Rapa Nui, Jamaica's Birdman, China's Summer Palace, Australia's Gweagal Shield, India's Amaravati Marbles, Iraq's Ashurbanipal, Nigeria's Benin Bronzes and Ghana's Akan Drum.

By effectively going back in time through AR, by scanning the objects visitors will learn from where and when the items were removed. 

The podcast series features interviews with experts from the countries the objects were taken from.

Among the list of interviewees are Aboriginal rights activist Rodney Kelly, who is the descendent of the original owner of the Gweagal Shield, Nigerian artist Victor Ehikhamenor, who represented Nigeria in its first-ever Venice Biennale show in 2017, and Rapa Nui governor Tarita Rapu.

This project builds on Vice World News's video series Empires of Dirt, which uncovered stories of colonialism often not taught in schools. To date, it has been viewed 19 million times across YouTube and Facebook. 

John Montoya, senior director, audience and content strategy at Vice Media Group, said: “'The unfiltered history tour is an important teaching tool for our audience: we want to continue to educate them on the historic and modern inequalities that have been woven into our everyday lives, using technology and social media to unlock a fuller experience.

“There is still so much to unpack about colonialism in Britain today: we hope that this project can play a part in furthering this.”