Explore the world through early anthropology and ethnography .
This volume surveys the Melanesian region and surrounding lands, detailing weapons, tools, and dress, as well as the people who made and used them.
The book presents a vivid catalog of arms, shields, bows and arrows, daggers, and ceremonial axes, alongside notes on how form, function, and decoration reflect social roles and rituals. It also touches on burial customs, death taboos, and the ways communities mark and manage the transition from life to the afterlife.
- Learn how different cultures shaped their weapons for hunting, warfare, and ceremony
- See illustrations and descriptions of shields, axes, bows, and decorative bindings
- Understand the link between material culture, social rank, and ritual practice
- Gain historical context for practices surrounding death, mourning, and remembrance
Ideal for readers of anthropology, history, and culture who want a grounded look at early ethnographic study and the peoples described.