LONDON (REUTERS).- London's British Museum won the 100,000 pound ($160,000) Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year Wednesday for its project "A History of the World."

The project was an exploration of world history using the museum's collection, at the heart of which was the BBC Radio series "A History of the World in 100 Objects" which traced developments over the last two million years.

Around 550 other museums across Britain participated in the initiative.

"We were particularly impressed by the truly global scope of the British Museum's project, which combined intellectual rigor and open heartedness, and went far beyond the boundaries of the museum's walls," said Michael Portillo, who chaired the judges.

"We felt that this project, which showed a truly pioneering use of digital media, has led the way for museums to interact with their audiences in new and different ways."

The four establishments shortlisted for the annual award were the British Museum, the Polar Museum at the University of Cambridge, the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Scotland and The Roman Baths Museum in Bath.

This year was the first time a London-based national museum scooped the award.

The Art Fund is the national fundraising charity, helping British museums and galleries to buy, show and share art.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)