The Mountain Arapesh

746 Pages·2002·27.964 MB·English

by  Margaret Mead, Paul B. Roscoe

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www.routledge.com
The
Mountain
A rapesh

Paul B. Roscoe
With a new introduction by
Margaret Mead
The
Mountain
Arapesh
Originally published in 1938 and 1940 by The American Museum of Natural
History.
Published 2002 by Transaction Publishers
Published 2017 by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group, an informa business
New maps and photos copyright© 2002 by Paul B. Roscoe.
New material this edition copyright© 2002 by Taylor & Francis.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2001056881
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978.
The mountain Arapesh I Margaret Mead ; with a new introduction by
Paul B. Roscoe.
p. em.
Originally published in Anthropological papers of the American Museum
of Natural History, 1938-1949.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7658-0985-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Arapesh (Papua New Guinea people). I. Title.
DU740.42 M3954 2002
306'.089'9912-dc21 2001056881
ISBN 13: 978-0-7658-0985-8 (pbk) (Voll)
CONTENTS: VOLUME I
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSACTION EDITION xv
I. AN IMPORTING CULTURE
PREFACE 3
METHOD OF PRESENTATION 5
DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA 11
General Characteristics 11
Specific Characteristics 24
DAILY LIFE 60
The Mountain Arapesh 60
Comparative Notes on Beach Arapesh Villages 84
Comparative Notes on Plains Arapesh Villages 89
SUPPORTING MATERIALS 93
Introduction 93
House Building 93
Planning a Hamlet 93
House Types 95
Steps in House Building 104
Methods of Carrying And Storing 115
Use of Coconut Palm Leaves and of Basketry Techniques 118
Fire-Making 125
Cord and String Making 126
Clothing 127
Making a G String 127
Women’s Aprons 127
Belt and Armband Making 131
Beadwork 132
Dog Teeth Stringing 133
Decorated Bark Belts 133
Tobacco Growing and Smoking 134
Areca Nut Chewing 135
Gardening 139
Sago Working 141
Cutting the Sago 142
Construction of the Washing Apparatus 142
VI The Mountain Arapesh
Beach Deviations 145
Hunting and Trapping 145
Rat Trap 146
Large Game Snare Trap 148
Pig Trap 150
Deadfall 152
Bird Snare 152
Cooking 152
Cooking Utensils 154
Butchering a Pig 157
Dishes made of Sago 157
Taro and Coconut Croquettes 158
IMPORTS AND MOUNTAIN VERSIONS OF IMPORTS 159
Local Artifacts, Cruder Forms of Beach Types 159
Local Artifacts, Cruder Forms of Plains Types 166
Imports Which the Mountain Arapesh Make
No Attempt to Copy 173
THE MOUNTAIN ARAPESH SEEN AS AN
IMPORTING CULTURE 178
GLOSSARY AND GAZETTEER 203
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Text Figures
1. Map of New Guinea showing Location of Field-Work 12
2. Map of the Arapesh Country. Beach, Mountain,
and Plains Villages 14
3. Plains Arapesh House, Ilapweim 44
4. Tamberan House of the Plains Arapesh, Ilapweim, 1932 44
5. Mundugumor Bark Painting used in Yam Ceremonial 46
6. Shield used in fighting with the Spear, Mundugumor 50
7. Wooden Shield, Tehambuli 50
8. Leather Shield, Washkuk 50
9. A Formal Pubhe Notice composed of Symbolic Objects,
Mountain Aranesh 53
10. Dagger of Human Bone, Washkuk 56
11. Pottery Pot Rests, Mundugumor 57
Contents vii
12. Sacred Flute, Mundugumor 58
13. Family Group in the Doorway of a Pile House, Alitoa 61
14. A Mountain Arapesh Man, Ombomb of Alitoa, 1932, wearing
Headdress of Bird of Paradise Feather 63
15. The Village Plaza 64
16. Arapesh Girl wearing a Net Bag 70
17. Construction of a Beach Arapesh House, Dakuar, 1932 85
18. Making a Coconut Palm Leaf Mat, Dakuar 85
19. Women’s Tattooing Designs recorded in Dakuar 87
20. Dakuar Women 88
21. Types of Pots imported from the Islands 89
22. Unit from Horizontal Frontal Panel of tamberan House 90
23. A Plains Arapesh Man, 1932 91
24. Bamboo Ring Cutter 91
25. Plan of Alitoa Village 94
26. Basis of Arapesh House Form and Exact Form of
Unwalled Shelter used as Cook House and Lounging
House in Hamlet 96
27. Side and Front View of Arapesh Pile House 97
28. Current House Forms among the Mountain Arapesh 98
29. Decorative Ridge Spur, Side View, of Arapesh House 99
30. View of Projection over Doorway (alitem) of
Arapesh House, from beneath 99
31. Detail of Decorative Sago Bark Shingling on Arapesh House 99
32. Wedge used to steady Post or Pile in Hole 99
33. Details of Rattan Knots used in House Building 105
34. Side View of House Floor 105
35. Diagrammatic View of House Floor 106
36. Detail of Thatch Sheet, Mountain Arapesh House 107
37. Method of bonnetting the Ridge Pole of an Arapesh House 107
38. Detail of Wall of Arapesh Ground House, Type E 108
39. Shingling for Arapesh Pile House Walls 108
40. Detail of Arapesh Doors 111
41. Types of Ladders 112
42. Beach Arapesh Type of Basket, Front and Back 116
43. Types of Baskets imported from Nugum 117
44. Models of Beach Forms of Coconut Leaf Basketry 119
45. Making a Coconut Leaf Mat 119
viii The Mountain Arapesh
46. Double Mats used to make Temporary Enclosures
for Ceremonies, Kobelen 120
47. Initial Steps in making an Ordinary Basket 121
48. Initial Steps in Making Ceremonial Baskets 121
49. Plaited Beginning of Coconut Palm Leaf Basket,
Beach Form 121
50. Imported Headbands 122
51. Plaited Belt and Armlets 123
52. Chain from Nugum 124
53. Wickerwork Combs 124
54. Making Woman's Apron of Sago Fiber 128
55. Woman's Apron of Sago Fiber 130
56. Plaited Armlet and Belts 131
57. Steps in making a Beaded Band with imported Small Beads 132
58. Manus Method of Stringing Beads 132
59. Method of stringing Dog Teeth 133
60. Bark Belt with Incised Design 134
61. Screen for drying Tobacco Leaves (atuga) 135
62. Decorated Lime Gourds 136
63. Coconut Shell Lime Container 137
64. Lime Spatulas imported from the Plains 137
65. Lime Spatula showing Homicidal Pendants, Lower Sepik 138
66. Yam Garden, Mountain Arapesh 140
67. Sago Cutter 143
68. Sago Working Apparatus 144
69. Hand Dip Net 146
70. Construction of a Rat Trap 147
71. Large Game Snare 148
72. Pig Trap 149
73. Deadfall 150
74. Bird Snare 151
75. Types of Cooking Pots used in the Mountains 153
76. Household and Cooking Implements 153
77. Stirring Stick 154
78. Coconut Shell Water Carrier 155
79. Pottery Serving Dish, Nugum 156
80. Form and Decoration of Wooden Bowls 160
81. Taro Pounders 161