Context (CMS Context)
1968.75-1968.335: Collection of artefacts made in 1967 from the Southern Highlands, Territory of Papua-New Guinea. It is fairly representative of the main features of the material culture of the Wiru-speaking people, who live near Pangia patrol post. The items come from Tunda village and its environs. After sporadic patrols, and mission settlements from 1960, the Wiru people were brought under full control in 1962. Since then they have suffered intensive mission activity. Their cults and dance festivals, which produced art forms not found else where in the Highlands, have been discouraged and the collection made in 1967 could not be representative of the whole range of items associated with the cults etc. before European contact. Collection made by A.J. and A.M. Strathern and purchased with museum funds.
1968.75-134: Household utensils and work tools. Along with axes (1968.308-317) the digging stick is the most important agricultural tool, different types were used for cultivating the soil, dibbling and harvesting the tubers. Ditches were smoothed with wooden spades. Subsistence is based on the sweet potato (and taro) and pigs are raised. One important item is missing from this assemblage, namely the netbag. The ones we attempted to bring home perished in transit. They are however exactely like their Hagen counterparts, of which there are several examples in the Museum. They have the same functions as in Hagen, being used mainly for bringing home food for women, but also for general carrying. See 1968.126-127 for use as fishing nets. 1968.135-136 for small personal netbags carried by men.

Event Date 1/5/1998
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Digging stick. A large stick, used as a dibble in planting sweet potato. 56" long. The tip has been roughly shaped to a point, but has not had the sharpening slice taken out of it that characterises sticks used for breaking up the soil or for harvesting (1968.80 etc). The tip itself is blunt, and the wood is splayed from the pressure of its being driven into the ground. This may be used in gardens where the minimum of cultivation is done - especially in gardens newly cut from the bush where no attempt is made to turn the whole area. It is used by women to drive deep holes into the otherwise uncultivated earth. A single hole is made, and the sweet potato vine pushed deeply (up to 12") into it. A couple of movements with the stick back and forth looses the soil around the hole, but the earth is not otherwise turned over. Earth is pushed back onto the vine to complete the planting.
Event Date 1/5/1998
Author: maa