A war. A ransom. And a stunning recovery mission.

Five elaborately carved panels were buried in a New Zealand swamp to protect it from a war.

Then 150 years later, they’re acquired by a British collector before being sold to a Swiss-Bolivian collector in Geneva.

And their long journey home began when a kidnap ransom payment had to be made.

This is the remarkable story of the Motunui Epa.

Season Two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.

Losing Your Marbles

Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest.

In each episode of this global smash hit podcast, Walkley award-winning journalist, author and genetic potluck, Marc Fennell, takes you on the wild, evocative, sometimes funny, often tragic adventure of how these stolen treasures got to where they live today. These objects will ultimately help us see the modern world — and ourselves — in a different light.

This is a co-production between the ABC and CBC Canada.