Saturday 14 November – Australian Museum via William Street new entrance 10:00 am registration, 10:30 OAS AGM, 11:00 Dr Robin Torrence (see below), 12 Noon close, 1:00pm Lunch at Sky Phoenix in the city. Bookings essential.
Dr. Robin Torrence, Senior Principal Research Scientist – Geosciences and Archaeology, Australian Museum, wil be presenting a talk on:
As the product of negotiated exchanges between indigenous groups and outsiders, ethnographic collections offer a rich source of information about colonial cultures. Focused on museum collections from Central Province, Papua New Guinea, I discuss how archaeological analyses of assemblages reveal strategies used by indigenous groups to benefit from their interactions with outsiders. In particular, examples of (1) attracting contact, (2) asserting identity, (3) withholding access to social spheres, and (4) expelling dangerous objects are discussed. The invention of new object forms and decorations together with the maintenance of traditional practices of artefact manufacture and use illustrate how small scale, local communities reacted to threats to their individual identities.
