Museums Victoria collections article: Pottery sherds from Wuatam (Watom) Island, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea

Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities

Description

Co-wrote a Museums Victoria collections article with Lisa Hilli, with input from Tolai elders living in Melbourne. Assisted with the digitisation of pottery sherds for the article. https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/16808

Period1 Jun 2020

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitlePottery sherds from Wuatam (Watom) Island, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea
    Degree of recognitionRegional
    Media name/outletMuseums Victoria Collections Online
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date1/06/20
    DescriptionArticle describing the discovery of pottery sherds on Wuatam (Watom) Island, which is situated a few kilometres off the north coast of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. In 1909, several small, intricately decorated earthenware pottery sherds were found eroding from the ground near the coastal village of Rakival. A German missionary - Otto Meyer - conducted amateur excavations near the discovery, which revealed deep deposits containing similar sherds (up to two metres below the surface). Examples of the fragmented pottery were sent to museums in Basel, Berlin, Cologne and Paris as well as to Australia. Museums Victoria cares for 27 of the Wuatam Island pottery sherds, which have been on long-term loan from the Australian War Museum since 1925.
    URLhttps://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/16808
    PersonsChris Urwin
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Keywords

  • Museum Collections
  • Archaeology