access to descriptions and pictures of the holdings of the ......30,000 years ago. between 30,000...

Produced by the Committee of the Museum of Antiquities, Armidale, N.S.W.Second edition with major revisions, December, 2002.

Printed by the University of New England Printery

ISBN 1 86389 040 8

Access to descriptions and pictures of the holdings of the Museum of Antiquities canbe obtained from the “Australian University Museums On Line” website:

http://aumol.usyd.edu.au

Parang from

Viewing of the cases and their layout may be made via the Museum’s website which islocated in the Arts Faculty entries of the University of New England, or directly at the sitebelow: http://www.une.edu.au/~arts/Museum

Bronze Age sword from Europe

Flores

The front cover depicts a bronze figure of Vishnu in Cambodian style, a plastershabti from Egypt, a carved wooden ancestor figure from the Sepik region of PapuaNew Guinea, and below an aboriginal woomera or spear thrower from the

Kimberley region in northern Western Australia.

Bronze Age terracotta wagon from Syria, 2000 -1900 B.C.

The Museum began in 1959 as part of the Department of Classics and consisted of two cases withIron Age pottery from Cyprus as the first major display. In 1961 the Museum had its own room inwhat is now the Oorala Centre when Classics moved to this location. At this time the Museum re-ceived an ancient coin collection and further Cypriot material. An Aboriginal collection was addedin 1967 and a new location was developed in the New Faculty of Arts Building with two rooms on thefirst floor. As a Bicentenial Year Project in 1988 the Museum moved to its present purpose-builtlocation. There has been a steady increase in the number of artefacts over the years as a result ofpurchases and donations, particularly of the Woite and Stewart Collections.

Welcome to the Museum of Antiquities

Archaeology

Archaeology studies things made by people of the past, in an attempt to understand the way theylived. This display traces the process by which archaeological evidence is acquired and studied byarchaeologists. The varied nature of that evidence is explained and details are given of how thatevidence is dated and interpreted in order to throw light on past human behaviour. At the bottom ofthe case some information is provided about archaeology in Australia, in response to the commonbelief that there is none. Although the display consists mainly of photographs and drawings, it alsocontains a sample-column from a prehistoric shell midden on the New South Wales Coast and aselection of objects from Egyptian, South West Asian, New Guinea and Australian sites.

Case 1

Case 2

Case 10What Happened and When

‘What Happened and When' is a comparative chronology of the cultural evolution of the human race inthe major land masses of the world. The display starts at the bottom of the lefthand side, with theevolutionary associations of the Australopithecines leading to Homo habilis and Homo erectus, thelatter moving out of Africa into Europe and Asia. From the Homo erectus stem evolved Homo sapiens(archaic) and from this form two lines evolved, ie. Homo sapiens (Neanderthal) and Homo sapiens(modern), the former found in Africa, South West Asia and Europe but replaced by the latter about30,000 years ago. Between 30,000 years ago and 12,000 years ago Homo sapiens (modern) spread outto occupy the various major land masses and many islands (with the exception of Antartica) anddeveloped into the various races past and present. Some of the material cultural differences of theworld are also indicated, starting about 9000 B.C. and moving up to the top of the left display. Thcsecontinue up to A.D. 1800. For example, Pyramid building was at its height in Egypt about 2700 B.C.but is not found in Middle America until A.D. 800.

The EtruscansThere are many puzzles surrounding the Etruscans, includingtheir place of origin. They were at their most prominent between700 and 500 B.C., comprising a loose federation of agricultural,seafaring and commercial cities in north-westem Italy. Mostknowledge of this lively culture comes from frescoes and artefactsfound in their elaborate rock-cut tombs, often clustered in largenumbers. The cutaway model in this display with the sculpturesof a man and woman, is characteristic of tombs about 400 B.C.Great technical competence and vigour rather than brilliantartistry is seen in the typical 'Black Pottery', painted terracottahead and bronze fibula. The Etruscans merit attention in theirown right, but it is their influence upon the Romans which isbest remembered. Examples here are the introduction of the archand barrel vault, chariot racing, gladiatorial contests, use ofsymbols of authority (the fasces) and the use of omens in theadministration of the state.

Case 3European Prehistory

The idea of prehistory first developed in Europe duringthe nineteenth century. It was there that a Dane, ChristianJ. Thomson, thought up the 3-Age System: the idea ofdividing prehistoric time into a Stone Age, a Bronze Age,and an Iron Age. This system was based on the materialof which tools and weapons were made at different times.Subsequent archaeological research subdivided these mainages and modern archaeologists have largely abandonnedthe terms because they can now use radiocarbon and otherdating methods that give approximate dates in years.Nevertheless, the 3-Age System was an important step inthe development of prehistoric archaeological studies.

Terracotta head

Flintchisel

Bronzeaxehead

Mediterranean Civilizations

The Museum began in 1959 as part of the Department of Classics and consisted of two cases withIron Age pottery from Cyprus as the first major display. In 1961 the Museum had its own room inwhat is now the Oorala Centre when Classics moved to this location. At this time the Museum re-ceived an ancient coin collection and further Cypriot material. An Aboriginal collection was addedin 1967 and a new location was developed in the New Faculty of Arts Building with two rooms on thefirst floor. As a Bicentenial Year Project in 1988 the Museum moved to its present purpose-builtlocation. There has been a steady increase in the number of artefacts over the years as a result ofpurchases and donations, particularly of the Woite and Stewart Collections.

Welcome to the Museum of Antiquities

Archaeology

Archaeology studies things made by people of the past, in an attempt to understand the way theylived. This display traces the process by which archaeological evidence is acquired and studied byarchaeologists. The varied nature of that evidence is explained and details are given of how thatevidence is dated and interpreted in order to throw light on past human behaviour. At the bottom ofthe case some information is provided about archaeology in Australia, in response to the commonbelief that there is none. Although the display consists mainly of photographs and drawings, it alsocontains a sample-column from a prehistoric shell midden on the New South Wales Coast and aselection of objects from Egyptian, South West Asian, New Guinea and Australian sites.

Case 1

Case 2

Case 10What Happened and When

‘What Happened and When' is a comparative chronology of the cultural evolution of the human race inthe major land masses of the world. The display starts at the bottom of the lefthand side, with theevolutionary associations of the Australopithecines leading to Homo habilis and Homo erectus, thelatter moving out of Africa into Europe and Asia. From the Homo erectus stem evolved Homo sapiens(archaic) and from this form two lines evolved, ie. Homo sapiens (Neanderthal) and Homo sapiens(modern), the former found in Africa, South West Asia and Europe but replaced by the latter about30,000 years ago. Between 30,000 years ago and 12,000 years ago Homo sapiens (modern) spread outto occupy the various major land masses and many islands (with the exception of Antartica) anddeveloped into the various races past and present. Some of the material cultural differences of theworld are also indicated, starting about 9000 B.C. and moving up to the top of the left display. Thcsecontinue up to A.D. 1800. For example, Pyramid building was at its height in Egypt about 2700 B.C.but is not found in Middle America until A.D. 800.

The EtruscansThere are many puzzles surrounding the Etruscans, includingtheir place of origin. They were at their most prominent between700 and 500 B.C., comprising a loose federation of agricultural,seafaring and commercial cities in north-westem Italy. Mostknowledge of this lively culture comes from frescoes and artefactsfound in their elaborate rock-cut tombs, often clustered in largenumbers. The cutaway model in this display with the sculpturesof a man and woman, is characteristic of tombs about 400 B.C.Great technical competence and vigour rather than brilliantartistry is seen in the typical 'Black Pottery', painted terracottahead and bronze fibula. The Etruscans merit attention in theirown right, but it is their influence upon the Romans which isbest remembered. Examples here are the introduction of the archand barrel vault, chariot racing, gladiatorial contests, use ofsymbols of authority (the fasces) and the use of omens in theadministration of the state.

Case 3European Prehistory

The idea of prehistory first developed in Europe duringthe nineteenth century. It was there that a Dane, ChristianJ. Thomson, thought up the 3-Age System: the idea ofdividing prehistoric time into a Stone Age, a Bronze Age,and an Iron Age. This system was based on the materialof which tools and weapons were made at different times.Subsequent archaeological research subdivided these mainages and modern archaeologists have largely abandonnedthe terms because they can now use radiocarbon and otherdating methods that give approximate dates in years.Nevertheless, the 3-Age System was an important step inthe development of prehistoric archaeological studies.

Terracotta head

Flintchisel

Bronzeaxehead

Mediterranean Civilizations

Case 4 South West Asia , 7000 B.C. to A.D. 400 South-West Asia, long known to Europeans as'The Near East'. is the area bounded by the easternMediterranean, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea,the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. This was thelocation of major developments of human culturebefore and during the period covered by thisdisplay. The first domestication of sheep and goatsoccurred here, as also the first domestication ofwheat and barley. These developments of a food-producing economy, or farming as it is morecommonly known, were the achievements ofpeople who were still making tools of stone.As time went on, however, the area became thescene of some of the world's earliest examples ofmetallurgy, particularly in copper and its alloys.Following these economic and technologicaldevelopments, South-West Asia was also thelocation of the oldest of human civilizations, thatof the Sumerians who developed the first form ofwriting. The area continued to play a major rolein human history, through a succession of majorempires and kingdoms, until parts of it wereincorporated into the Roman Empire, andsubsequently it became the heartland of theIslamic World.

Case 5Ancient Egypt

Egypt of the Pharaohs was remarkable for its culturalcontinuity for some 3000 years. Its literate civilizationflourished from about 3100 BC till 30 BC in the landsirrigated by the River Nile. A strong belief in life afterdeath led to the construction of elaborate burial placessuch as thc Pyramids and underground tombs, like thatof the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. The daily life of thisagriculturally-based society was a rich and varied oneof which this display gives a general impression. Itconsists largely of photographs, diagrams and models,as well as two modern reproduction papyri withhieroglyphic writing but there are also exarnples ofancient pottery and jewellery, two original inscriptions,shabtis and a mummy's foot.

Cuneiform envelope & tablet

Yortan ware jar

Luristanbronze axe

Limestone stele

Case 6 Minoan Crete and Mycenaean GreeceThe Minoan Civilization, which is named after the legendaryking of Crete, Minos, flourished from about 2000 to about1500 B.C. The most notable remains of this culture consistof palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia and Zakro. Thepalace at Knossos was reconstructed largely under thedirection of Sir Arthur Evans, and a cutaway model can beseen in the display case. This palace featured magnificentwall paintings which have been restored from fragmentsdiscovered in the excavations. Also to be noted are thecharacteristic Minoan columns which taper downward andthe 'horns of consecration', which stand like battlementsaround the roofs and terraces of the palace. In the Museum'scollection there is only a stone bowl (1750 B.C.) and anEarly Iron Age juglet (950 B.C.). The Mycenaean periodis named after the citadel of Mycenae in the northeasternPeloponnese. From here the legendary King Agamemnonis believed to have set forth for his invasion of Troy. Therich finds from the shaft graves in the burial circles of thecitadel are dated from about 1600 to 1500 B.C. From about1500 B.C. the wealthy Mycenaeans began to bury theirdead in tholoi, or 'beehive' tombs of which a model can beseen in the display case.

Case 7The Skills of the Ancient GreeksThe skills represented in this display case consistpredominantly of the work of the potter, but theyfeature also work in bronze, lead and ivory. Theycover a time-span from the late Geometric period,about 750 B.C., to the Roman Imperial Period. as lateas A.D. 350.The earliest pottery in this collection is late AtticGeometric of about 750 B.C., followed by Corinthianblack-figure ware, which dominated trade in fineceramics during the first half of the 6th century B.C.It is important to understand that pottery of this qualitywas valued as a luxury, and that the popularity ofCorinthian vases may not indicate that Corinthcontrolled trade in any other commodities, such asolive oil, grain or wine. Corinthian pottery yielded inpopular choice to Attic black figure ware in the late6th century, and in the 5th century B.C. Athenianpotters began to make the red-figure vases, whichrepresent the highest achievement in vase painting.The, masterpiece in this collection is the Attic kylixrepresenting two men engaged in conversation orperhaps a courtship (about 450 B.C.).

Minoan stone bowl

Mycenaean terracotta animal

Skyphos

Case 4 South West Asia , 7000 B.C. to A.D. 400 South-West Asia, long known to Europeans as'The Near East'. is the area bounded by the easternMediterranean, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea,the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. This was thelocation of major developments of human culturebefore and during the period covered by thisdisplay. The first domestication of sheep and goatsoccurred here, as also the first domestication ofwheat and barley. These developments of a food-producing economy, or farming as it is morecommonly known, were the achievements ofpeople who were still making tools of stone.As time went on, however, the area became thescene of some of the world's earliest examples ofmetallurgy, particularly in copper and its alloys.Following these economic and technologicaldevelopments, South-West Asia was also thelocation of the oldest of human civilizations, thatof the Sumerians who developed the first form ofwriting. The area continued to play a major rolein human history, through a succession of majorempires and kingdoms, until parts of it wereincorporated into the Roman Empire, andsubsequently it became the heartland of theIslamic World.

Case 5Ancient Egypt

Egypt of the Pharaohs was remarkable for its culturalcontinuity for some 3000 years. Its literate civilizationflourished from about 3100 BC till 30 BC in the landsirrigated by the River Nile. A strong belief in life afterdeath led to the construction of elaborate burial placessuch as thc Pyramids and underground tombs, like thatof the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. The daily life of thisagriculturally-based society was a rich and varied oneof which this display gives a general impression. Itconsists largely of photographs, diagrams and models,as well as two modern reproduction papyri withhieroglyphic writing but there are also exarnples ofancient pottery and jewellery, two original inscriptions,shabtis and a mummy's foot.

Cuneiform envelope & tablet

Yortan ware jar

Luristanbronze axe

Limestone stele

Case 6 Minoan Crete and Mycenaean GreeceThe Minoan Civilization, which is named after the legendaryking of Crete, Minos, flourished from about 2000 to about1500 B.C. The most notable remains of this culture consistof palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia and Zakro. Thepalace at Knossos was reconstructed largely under thedirection of Sir Arthur Evans, and a cutaway model can beseen in the display case. This palace featured magnificentwall paintings which have been restored from fragmentsdiscovered in the excavations. Also to be noted are thecharacteristic Minoan columns which taper downward andthe 'horns of consecration', which stand like battlementsaround the roofs and terraces of the palace. In the Museum'scollection there is only a stone bowl (1750 B.C.) and anEarly Iron Age juglet (950 B.C.). The Mycenaean periodis named after the citadel of Mycenae in the northeasternPeloponnese. From here the legendary King Agamemnonis believed to have set forth for his invasion of Troy. Therich finds from the shaft graves in the burial circles of thecitadel are dated from about 1600 to 1500 B.C. From about1500 B.C. the wealthy Mycenaeans began to bury theirdead in tholoi, or 'beehive' tombs of which a model can beseen in the display case.

Case 7The Skills of the Ancient GreeksThe skills represented in this display case consistpredominantly of the work of the potter, but theyfeature also work in bronze, lead and ivory. Theycover a time-span from the late Geometric period,about 750 B.C., to the Roman Imperial Period. as lateas A.D. 350.The earliest pottery in this collection is late AtticGeometric of about 750 B.C., followed by Corinthianblack-figure ware, which dominated trade in fineceramics during the first half of the 6th century B.C.It is important to understand that pottery of this qualitywas valued as a luxury, and that the popularity ofCorinthian vases may not indicate that Corinthcontrolled trade in any other commodities, such asolive oil, grain or wine. Corinthian pottery yielded inpopular choice to Attic black figure ware in the late6th century, and in the 5th century B.C. Athenianpotters began to make the red-figure vases, whichrepresent the highest achievement in vase painting.The, masterpiece in this collection is the Attic kylixrepresenting two men engaged in conversation orperhaps a courtship (about 450 B.C.).

Minoan stone bowl

Mycenaean terracotta animal

Skyphos

The red-figure pottery continued in the 4thcentury B.C., but the pictures declined inquality. The examples from this periodcome from South Italian cities, which theolder Greek states of the easternMediterranean had founded as colonies inthe 8th and 7th centuries B.C.The labels bear the names of various typesof pots in the language of Ancient Greece,and it is useful to have translations. Thelekythos was an oil-flask for olive oil,which was rubbed into the body afterexercise. The beautiful white-groundlekythos in the display case was a specialtype buried with the dead. There also arevarious perfume bottles, all with smallmouths, like the modern variety, topreserve the precious contents. Theyinclude the aryballos and alabastron, bothglobular oil-flasks, the latter often madeof alabaster. In addition there are fusi-formunguentaria, sometimes called tear-vasesfrom the mistaken belief that they held thetears of the mourners because they arefound buried with the dead. There are alsodrinking vessels, the skyphos, a cup usedby peasants, and the kylix, a more elegantwine cup. The krater was a bowl in whichwine was mixed with water (the ancientGreeks and Romans seldom drank wineneat), and the kyathos was a ladle fordrawing wine out of a krater. Theoenochoe was a wine jug, sometimeshaving a trefoil mouth ('three-leafed' likethe clover), a useful shape for pouring. Thehydria held water. Another small jug forgeneral use was the pelike, while theamphora, a name which indicates it hashandles on both sides, was a large pot forstorage. A number of miniature pots havebeen found, of which there are examplesin the display case, and these aredesignated by the diminutive forrn of thename of their larger counterpart: forexample, amphoriskos is a name given toa small amphora. In some instances thesesmall pots are thought to have been toys,in others replicas of vases offered to thegods.

Aryballos

Alabastron

OenochoeLekythos

PelikeKrater

Hydria

Amphora(example shown not inUNEMA collection)

Case 8Roman Arts and Crafts

Although the influence of Greece is apparent in mostof the arts and crafts of the Romans, it combined withinfluences from other cultures, and with the technologyand robust creativity of the Romans themselves, togenerate a range of arts and of crafts that clearlyexpressed the complex society which the RomanEmpire had become.Pottery on display here reflects particularly clearly theRomans' conquest of Greek cities in southern Italy ascarly as the 7th century B.C., which brought skilledGreek craftsmen to Rome. The conquest of mainlandGreece in the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. continued theRomans' exposure to the artistic excellence that thatculture had attained.The making of glassware was a feature of Roman crafts.as the series of pieces on display illustrates. Examplesrange from the relatively common perfume jarsrecovered from Pompeii to the exquisite small jug andbowl from the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D.

Case 9Daily Life in Ancient Rome

The conquest and rule of the Mediterranean world and beyondbrought the Romans into contact with other peoples and createda need for an organization capable of maintaining supremacyover them. Items such as those on display in this and the previouscase, together with well preserved remains (e.g. architecture),combine with an extensivc body of literary evidence to provideexcellent insight into the ways of living of people in the Romanworld.Extensive trading and communication networks benefitted fromcenturies of relative stability, enabling the Empire's resourcesto be tapped and to serve the demands of the dominant power.Life in Rome for the wealthier classes, as reflected in the itemsin this case, was probably quite luxurious. Bronze cookingimplements would have been used to prepare varied meals inwealthier homes, and the instruments of the surgeon, littledifferent from their modern counterparts, point to a high levelof medical sophistication. This existed, paradoxically, alongsidea religious system that gave sway over many matters to one oftheir rich pantheon of gods. Domestic accommodation variedfrom the atrium (courtyard) style of house shown in this displayto the often dangerous wooden tenements of several stories thatwere home to the lower-class Romans.

Small lamp

Bronze figurine

Glass juglet

Roman bronze stylus 2nd cent. A.D.

The red-figure pottery continued in the 4thcentury B.C., but the pictures declined inquality. The examples from this periodcome from South Italian cities, which theolder Greek states of the easternMediterranean had founded as colonies inthe 8th and 7th centuries B.C.The labels bear the names of various typesof pots in the language of Ancient Greece,and it is useful to have translations. Thelekythos was an oil-flask for olive oil,which was rubbed into the body afterexercise. The beautiful white-groundlekythos in the display case was a specialtype buried with the dead. There also arevarious perfume bottles, all with smallmouths, like the modern variety, topreserve the precious contents. Theyinclude the aryballos and alabastron, bothglobular oil-flasks, the latter often madeof alabaster. In addition there are fusi-formunguentaria, sometimes called tear-vasesfrom the mistaken belief that they held thetears of the mourners because they arefound buried with the dead. There are alsodrinking vessels, the skyphos, a cup usedby peasants, and the kylix, a more elegantwine cup. The krater was a bowl in whichwine was mixed with water (the ancientGreeks and Romans seldom drank wineneat), and the kyathos was a ladle fordrawing wine out of a krater. Theoenochoe was a wine jug, sometimeshaving a trefoil mouth ('three-leafed' likethe clover), a useful shape for pouring. Thehydria held water. Another small jug forgeneral use was the pelike, while theamphora, a name which indicates it hashandles on both sides, was a large pot forstorage. A number of miniature pots havebeen found, of which there are examplesin the display case, and these aredesignated by the diminutive forrn of thename of their larger counterpart: forexample, amphoriskos is a name given toa small amphora. In some instances thesesmall pots are thought to have been toys,in others replicas of vases offered to thegods.

Aryballos

Alabastron

OenochoeLekythos

PelikeKrater

Hydria

Amphora(example shown not inUNEMA collection)

Case 8Roman Arts and Crafts

Although the influence of Greece is apparent in mostof the arts and crafts of the Romans, it combined withinfluences from other cultures, and with the technologyand robust creativity of the Romans themselves, togenerate a range of arts and of crafts that clearlyexpressed the complex society which the RomanEmpire had become.Pottery on display here reflects particularly clearly theRomans' conquest of Greek cities in southern Italy ascarly as the 7th century B.C., which brought skilledGreek craftsmen to Rome. The conquest of mainlandGreece in the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. continued theRomans' exposure to the artistic excellence that thatculture had attained.The making of glassware was a feature of Roman crafts.as the series of pieces on display illustrates. Examplesrange from the relatively common perfume jarsrecovered from Pompeii to the exquisite small jug andbowl from the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D.

Case 9Daily Life in Ancient Rome

The conquest and rule of the Mediterranean world and beyondbrought the Romans into contact with other peoples and createda need for an organization capable of maintaining supremacyover them. Items such as those on display in this and the previouscase, together with well preserved remains (e.g. architecture),combine with an extensivc body of literary evidence to provideexcellent insight into the ways of living of people in the Romanworld.Extensive trading and communication networks benefitted fromcenturies of relative stability, enabling the Empire's resourcesto be tapped and to serve the demands of the dominant power.Life in Rome for the wealthier classes, as reflected in the itemsin this case, was probably quite luxurious. Bronze cookingimplements would have been used to prepare varied meals inwealthier homes, and the instruments of the surgeon, littledifferent from their modern counterparts, point to a high levelof medical sophistication. This existed, paradoxically, alongsidea religious system that gave sway over many matters to one oftheir rich pantheon of gods. Domestic accommodation variedfrom the atrium (courtyard) style of house shown in this displayto the often dangerous wooden tenements of several stories thatwere home to the lower-class Romans.

Small lamp

Bronze figurine

Glass juglet

Roman bronze stylus 2nd cent. A.D.

Australian Archaeology The next three cases illustrate the Australian cultural sequence from its beginnings in island

South East Asia to the European contact period.

Case 11 The Earliest AustraliansThis display shows material from central Java,which was first occupied by populations of Homoerectus about I million years ago. Althoughevidence is sketchy, it suggests that Australia'sfirst human inhabitants probably migrated toAustralia via the Indonesian Archipelego but areunlikely to have evolved from Indonesian Homoerectus.

Case 12 Pleistocene This display illustrates aspects of AustralianAboriginal life from the time Australia wascolonised, about 55,000 years ago, until the end ofthe last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Included are arange ot artefacts made from stone and othermaterials and illustrations of rock art of the period.The first Australians shared the continent with arange of large animals now extinct, known asmegafauna. Bone fragments from some of theseanimals are also on display. It is uncertain whetherAboriginal hunting and firing or environmentalchanges were the cause of their extinction.

Case 13 Holocene

This deals with changes that occurred inAboriginal society from about 4,000 yearsago to the period of European andMacassan contact. During this time therewere substantial changes in stone artefacttechnology and food getting. These appearto be associated with a major increase inthe Aboriginal population. The Europeancontact period was marked by many otherdevelopments (e.g. use of metal, glass andtobacco pipes) but also saw the drasticreduction of Aboriginal populations.

King plate

Stone bifacialpoint Glass

‘Kimberley’ point

Grooved axehead

Waistedblade

Case 14Desert Culture

This case is one of two illustrating the culturaldiversity of Australian Aboriginal life. It depictsaspects of Aboriginal life in the desert regions.A range of tools and weapons is included (e.g.shields and boomerangs). Many of theseimplements were multipurpose.

Case 16Baliem Valley Culture

This display concerns the Dani people, whooccupy the Baliem Valley in the highlands ofIrian Jaya. The display includes informationon settlement type, the horticultural economy,warfare, and the effects of outside contact.

Irian Jaya and New Guinea

Case 17 Sepik River CulturePeople of the Sepik River region on the northcoast of New Guinea are renowned for therichness of their decorative arts. This displayincludes a number of decorated items from theSepik (e.g. pots, carvings, ornaments). It alsoincludes information on local food staples,warfare and exchange.

Crossed boomerang

Man’s purse

Bowl for mixing pigments & paint

Case 15Rainforest Culture

This illustrates aspects of Aboriginal ilfe in therainforest area of north east Queensland. The rangeof material culture, plus information on economicactivities, provides a marked contrast to the DesertCulture display. Note the difference in weapontypes, shields, spear-throwers and basketry.

Haftedgouge

Australian Archaeology The next three cases illustrate the Australian cultural sequence from its beginnings in island

South East Asia to the European contact period.

Case 11 The Earliest AustraliansThis display shows material from central Java,which was first occupied by populations of Homoerectus about I million years ago. Althoughevidence is sketchy, it suggests that Australia'sfirst human inhabitants probably migrated toAustralia via the Indonesian Archipelego but areunlikely to have evolved from Indonesian Homoerectus.

Case 12 Pleistocene This display illustrates aspects of AustralianAboriginal life from the time Australia wascolonised, about 55,000 years ago, until the end ofthe last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Included are arange ot artefacts made from stone and othermaterials and illustrations of rock art of the period.The first Australians shared the continent with arange of large animals now extinct, known asmegafauna. Bone fragments from some of theseanimals are also on display. It is uncertain whetherAboriginal hunting and firing or environmentalchanges were the cause of their extinction.

Case 13 Holocene

This deals with changes that occurred inAboriginal society from about 4,000 yearsago to the period of European andMacassan contact. During this time therewere substantial changes in stone artefacttechnology and food getting. These appearto be associated with a major increase inthe Aboriginal population. The Europeancontact period was marked by many otherdevelopments (e.g. use of metal, glass andtobacco pipes) but also saw the drasticreduction of Aboriginal populations.

King plate

Stone bifacialpoint Glass

‘Kimberley’ point

Grooved axehead

Waistedblade

Case 14Desert Culture

This case is one of two illustrating the culturaldiversity of Australian Aboriginal life. It depictsaspects of Aboriginal life in the desert regions.A range of tools and weapons is included (e.g.shields and boomerangs). Many of theseimplements were multipurpose.

Case 16Baliem Valley Culture

This display concerns the Dani people, whooccupy the Baliem Valley in the highlands ofIrian Jaya. The display includes informationon settlement type, the horticultural economy,warfare, and the effects of outside contact.

Irian Jaya and New Guinea

Case 17 Sepik River CulturePeople of the Sepik River region on the northcoast of New Guinea are renowned for therichness of their decorative arts. This displayincludes a number of decorated items from theSepik (e.g. pots, carvings, ornaments). It alsoincludes information on local food staples,warfare and exchange.

Crossed boomerang

Man’s purse

Bowl for mixing pigments & paint

Case 15Rainforest Culture

This illustrates aspects of Aboriginal ilfe in therainforest area of north east Queensland. The rangeof material culture, plus information on economicactivities, provides a marked contrast to the DesertCulture display. Note the difference in weapontypes, shields, spear-throwers and basketry.

Haftedgouge

The Pacific

Case 18Aspects of Fijian Culture

Fiji comprises a cluster of over 300 islandson the boundary between Melanesia andPolynesia in the Pacific.This display includes a number of Fijiantools, weapons and ornaments. It alsoprovides information on Fijian geography,prehistory and history. The islands werefirst settled by people using a distinctivepottery, Lapita, about 3,300 years ago.Since that time many cultural changeshave occurred, including the appearanceof a different pottery tradition.The making of tapa cloth and the drinkkava or yangona is characteristic of thisregion.

Cypriot Archaeology

Case 19Cyprus:

The Stone AgeThis case contains the oldest Cypriot materialfrom the J.R. Stewart Collection and is thefirst display in a series covering the StoneAge, Early Bronze Age, Middle and LateBronze Age, Iron Age and the Roman periodin Cyprus.The display starts at the bottom with the firstcolonists in the Neolithic I period, which ischaracterized by the use of stone implements,agriculture, domesticated animals andhunting. The Neolithic II period ischaracterized by the addition of pottery to theabove culture. In Cyprus there was a gap ofabout 1500 years between thc above twoperiods, suggesting the Neolithic II or SotiraCulture may have started with a newcolonization. The Chalcolithic period sawfurther cultural changes with new potterystyles and the first appearance of metalimplements. The transition from this periodto the Early Bronze Age is a shadowy one.

Throwing club

Whale tooth pendant

Broken stone bowl

Stone axe

Between cases 15 and 16

Aboriginal Bark Paintings

“All the goannas are comingand going out of the hole ina hollow tree. A man andwife with a dilly bag on herhead are looking at the tree.”

“At Man-jing-arra the snakeJak-marrarra lives, and twomilk snakes with poisonous tails walk about with a frog,kangaroo and a small bird.”

Painted by Peter Banjurljurl, of theTribe Burada (Murungan), in 1968.Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

Painted by Mick Magani of theTribe Dijnang, in 1968.

Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

The Pacific

Case 18Aspects of Fijian Culture

Fiji comprises a cluster of over 300 islandson the boundary between Melanesia andPolynesia in the Pacific.This display includes a number of Fijiantools, weapons and ornaments. It alsoprovides information on Fijian geography,prehistory and history. The islands werefirst settled by people using a distinctivepottery, Lapita, about 3,300 years ago.Since that time many cultural changeshave occurred, including the appearanceof a different pottery tradition.The making of tapa cloth and the drinkkava or yangona is characteristic of thisregion.

Cypriot Archaeology

Case 19Cyprus:

The Stone AgeThis case contains the oldest Cypriot materialfrom the J.R. Stewart Collection and is thefirst display in a series covering the StoneAge, Early Bronze Age, Middle and LateBronze Age, Iron Age and the Roman periodin Cyprus.The display starts at the bottom with the firstcolonists in the Neolithic I period, which ischaracterized by the use of stone implements,agriculture, domesticated animals andhunting. The Neolithic II period ischaracterized by the addition of pottery to theabove culture. In Cyprus there was a gap ofabout 1500 years between thc above twoperiods, suggesting the Neolithic II or SotiraCulture may have started with a newcolonization. The Chalcolithic period sawfurther cultural changes with new potterystyles and the first appearance of metalimplements. The transition from this periodto the Early Bronze Age is a shadowy one.

Throwing club

Whale tooth pendant

Broken stone bowl

Stone axe

Between cases 15 and 16

Aboriginal Bark Paintings

“All the goannas are comingand going out of the hole ina hollow tree. A man andwife with a dilly bag on herhead are looking at the tree.”

“At Man-jing-arra the snakeJak-marrarra lives, and twomilk snakes with poisonous tails walk about with a frog,kangaroo and a small bird.”

Painted by Peter Banjurljurl, of theTribe Burada (Murungan), in 1968.Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

Painted by Mick Magani of theTribe Dijnang, in 1968.

Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

Case 21Cyprus:

The Late Bronze AgeThe Late Bronze Age, or Late Cypriot, is also dividedinto three phases, each of about 200 years, and it was inthis period that complete cultural uniformity wasachieved in the island. There was increasing prosperitydue to the export of copper and pottery along with agreat expansion in the population due in part to theimmigration of Mycenaeans from Greece. These peoplebrought new techniques and this can be seen in the silver,gold and bronze artefacts: particularly burial ornaments,jewellery and ornamental bowls. The chief local potteryof the Late, Cypriot period was White Slip Ware withpainted black or brown decoration and Base Ring Ware,with Bucchero Ware being introduced from the west atthe end of the period.

Case 22Cyprus:

The Iron Age and Roman PeriodThe Iron Age in Cyprus started with the Cypro-Geometric Period (1050-750 B.C.), which saw acultural decline from the Late Bronze Age due towandering raiders causing trade disruptions. The periodwas characterized by the use of iron, and increasingCypriot features in the pottery styles with geometricmotifs on White Painted Ware, Black-on-Red Ware andBichrome Ware. The Cypro-Archaic Period (750-474B.C.) was one of changing domination by foreignoverlords, but the culture remained basically Greek.Pottery styles of the previous period continued but theappearance of pictorial designs of animals and flowersin a free-field composition are characteristic of thistime. The Classical and Hellenistic Periods were onesof turmoil for Cyprus but the basic culture remainedGreek and this was particularly true in the latter period.The Roman Period (30 B.C. to A.D. 395) saw newpottery styles, i.e. Terra Sigillata ware and mould-madelamps, and now the increased use of glass vessels. Inthis period many fine theatres, public baths, templesand villas were constructed, and in the latter two havebeen found impressive mosaics characteristic of thistime. In the later part of this period many Cypriotswere practising Christians.

Case 20Cyprus:

The Early Bronze Age The Early Bronze Age is divided into three phases:Early Cypriot I (2500 B.C.-2075 B.C.), Early Cypriot II(2075 B.C.-2000 B.C.), and Early Cypriot III (2000 B.C.-1900 B.C.). This was the period on which Professor J.R.Stewart did most of his excavation work which was laterpublished in the Swedish Cyprus Expedition reports of 1962.The period is characterized by an increase in populationwith colonists from Anatolia introducing new pottery formsand more advanced metal technology. However, the rangeof bronze tools and weapons remained limited and thetechnology of manufacture relatively basic. The economyof the island was essentially agricultural and the miningand trading of coppcr was not yet playing a major role.The characteristic pottery was Red Polished Ware, whichwas undecorated or incised in the EC I, but became moredecorated with a greater variety of form in the EC II andEC III. A second style, known as Black Polished Ware,also came into regular use towards the end of the period.No Cypriot Bronze Age objects have been found outside ofCyprus and only a few objects from Crete and Egypt in theEC III phase indicate a little outside trade. Cyprus wasclearly relatively isolated in this period.

Case 21 Cyprus:

The Middle Bronze Age The Middle Bronze Age, or Middle Cypriot, followsin an unbroken sequence from the Early Cypriot BronzeAge and its beginning is defined by the appearance ofWhite Painted II Ware. The period is divided into threephases, each lasting about 100 years. The island waswidely inhabited but suffered internal conflicts, theresult of enmity between the west which controlled thecopper and the east that had the good arable land.Foreign relations developed in MC II, with copper themain export, but by MC III the centres Lapethos andKalopsidha had declined in importance and the harbourtown of Enkomi became the major port for trade. Thecharacteristic pottery ot Middle Cypriot is Red Polishedand Black Polished Ware, particularly in MC I, alongwith White Painted, Red-on-Black, Red-on- Red, andBlack Slip Wares appearing in the other phases.

Composite juglet

Bronze axe

String-hole jug

White-slip jug

Terra Sigillata bowl

Bichrome barrel jug

Case 21Cyprus:

The Late Bronze AgeThe Late Bronze Age, or Late Cypriot, is also dividedinto three phases, each of about 200 years, and it was inthis period that complete cultural uniformity wasachieved in the island. There was increasing prosperitydue to the export of copper and pottery along with agreat expansion in the population due in part to theimmigration of Mycenaeans from Greece. These peoplebrought new techniques and this can be seen in the silver,gold and bronze artefacts: particularly burial ornaments,jewellery and ornamental bowls. The chief local potteryof the Late, Cypriot period was White Slip Ware withpainted black or brown decoration and Base Ring Ware,with Bucchero Ware being introduced from the west atthe end of the period.

Case 22Cyprus:

The Iron Age and Roman PeriodThe Iron Age in Cyprus started with the Cypro-Geometric Period (1050-750 B.C.), which saw acultural decline from the Late Bronze Age due towandering raiders causing trade disruptions. The periodwas characterized by the use of iron, and increasingCypriot features in the pottery styles with geometricmotifs on White Painted Ware, Black-on-Red Ware andBichrome Ware. The Cypro-Archaic Period (750-474B.C.) was one of changing domination by foreignoverlords, but the culture remained basically Greek.Pottery styles of the previous period continued but theappearance of pictorial designs of animals and flowersin a free-field composition are characteristic of thistime. The Classical and Hellenistic Periods were onesof turmoil for Cyprus but the basic culture remainedGreek and this was particularly true in the latter period.The Roman Period (30 B.C. to A.D. 395) saw newpottery styles, i.e. Terra Sigillata ware and mould-madelamps, and now the increased use of glass vessels. Inthis period many fine theatres, public baths, templesand villas were constructed, and in the latter two havebeen found impressive mosaics characteristic of thistime. In the later part of this period many Cypriotswere practising Christians.

Case 20Cyprus:

The Early Bronze Age The Early Bronze Age is divided into three phases:Early Cypriot I (2500 B.C.-2075 B.C.), Early Cypriot II(2075 B.C.-2000 B.C.), and Early Cypriot III (2000 B.C.-1900 B.C.). This was the period on which Professor J.R.Stewart did most of his excavation work which was laterpublished in the Swedish Cyprus Expedition reports of 1962.The period is characterized by an increase in populationwith colonists from Anatolia introducing new pottery formsand more advanced metal technology. However, the rangeof bronze tools and weapons remained limited and thetechnology of manufacture relatively basic. The economyof the island was essentially agricultural and the miningand trading of coppcr was not yet playing a major role.The characteristic pottery was Red Polished Ware, whichwas undecorated or incised in the EC I, but became moredecorated with a greater variety of form in the EC II andEC III. A second style, known as Black Polished Ware,also came into regular use towards the end of the period.No Cypriot Bronze Age objects have been found outside ofCyprus and only a few objects from Crete and Egypt in theEC III phase indicate a little outside trade. Cyprus wasclearly relatively isolated in this period.

Case 21 Cyprus:

The Middle Bronze Age The Middle Bronze Age, or Middle Cypriot, followsin an unbroken sequence from the Early Cypriot BronzeAge and its beginning is defined by the appearance ofWhite Painted II Ware. The period is divided into threephases, each lasting about 100 years. The island waswidely inhabited but suffered internal conflicts, theresult of enmity between the west which controlled thecopper and the east that had the good arable land.Foreign relations developed in MC II, with copper themain export, but by MC III the centres Lapethos andKalopsidha had declined in importance and the harbourtown of Enkomi became the major port for trade. Thecharacteristic pottery ot Middle Cypriot is Red Polishedand Black Polished Ware, particularly in MC I, alongwith White Painted, Red-on-Black, Red-on- Red, andBlack Slip Wares appearing in the other phases.

Composite juglet

Bronze axe

String-hole jug

White-slip jug

Terra Sigillata bowl

Bichrome barrel jug

Audio-visual programmesNext to Case 10 is a touchscreen facility with over thirty programmes, covering a wide range of topics.The individual programmes can be stopped at any time by touching the screen, and the duration timesare given under the various titles. In the Aboriginal programmes it is necessary to press information toproceed to the next programme.

Ancient Egypt14 mins.

The Etruscans9 mins.

Archaeological Sitesinteractive

Rock Art at Barunga(Aboriginal)

interactive

Ancient CoinsThe Origin of

Coinage3 mins.

Ancient Greek Coins6 mins.

Roman RepublicanCoins5 mins.

Roman ImperialCoins

7.5 mins.

Byzantine Coins7.5 mins.

The Iceman6 mins.

Vesuvius A.D. 796 mins.

Pompeii13 mins.

Herculaneum9 mins.

Minoan Crete10 mins.

Mycenaean Greece7 mins.

Roman Cyprus13 mins.

The Phoenicians13mins.

The Sea Peoples6 mins.

TheCarthaginians

8 mins.

The FirstAmericans

8 mins.

The Olmecs8 mins.

Central Mexico11 mins.

The Maya7 mins.

Coastal Peru7 mins.

Highland Peru7 mins.

Stone AgeMonuments

7 mins.

Avebury &Stonehenge

8 mins.

Dynastic China13 mins.

Terracotta Warriors10 mins.

The IndusCivilisation

12 mins.

Case 23Cyprus:

Medieval Byzantine PotteryDisplayed is a range of Byzantine pottery from Cypruswhich shows examples from the 13thto the 16th centuriesA.D. These examples are based on techniques that evolvedin Asia Minor during the 10th century A.D. with findsfrom Istanbul showing painted decoration in variouscolours under the glaze. The scratched or sgraffito type ofdecoration became wide-spread in the 12th century.Several examples displayed here show Christian symbolsand people who are definitely Christian and Byzantine intheir style of dress and general depiction. The exampleswe have follow this trend, but are about 200 years later ineach case.

Case 24The Americas

North America - Covers the evidence for thecolonization via Beringia into Alaska and thesubsequent migration southward. The trends in thePaleoindian and Archaic traditions are shown withgraphics, replicas and genuine projectile points.The eskimo cultures in the arctic region arecovered with graphics and examples of bone andantler carving. The last example considered is thedesert culture in the southwest and in particularthe Pueblo Bonito and Mesa Verde buildings.Middle America - Deals first with the Olmeccivilization which is the oldest in America. Mostemphasis is given to the Maya civilization onwhich the Museum has the most artefacts. Thereis a model of a Mayan temple with a burial sitebelow.Cultures evolving in other regions are consideredbriefly with the last culture that of the Aztecs whowere conquered by the Spanish in 1523.South America - Considers the cultures thatdeveloped along the coast with most attentiongiven to the Paracas and Mochica cultures, withbrief mention of Chavin, Viru, Nazca and Chimu.There are also artefacts displayed from variouscultures in Equador and Colombia. The highlandsbeyond Tiahuanaco saw the development and theexpansion of the Inca Empire which was the largestpre-industrial state in the New World.

Inuit carving in antler

Mayanchild’s rattle

Sgraffito bowl, 14th cent. A.D.

Paracas cultureblack ware vase

with birds,Coastal Peru

Audio-visual programmesNext to Case 10 is a touchscreen facility with over thirty programmes, covering a wide range of topics.The individual programmes can be stopped at any time by touching the screen, and the duration timesare given under the various titles. In the Aboriginal programmes it is necessary to press information toproceed to the next programme.

Ancient Egypt14 mins.

The Etruscans9 mins.

Archaeological Sitesinteractive

Rock Art at Barunga(Aboriginal)

interactive

Ancient CoinsThe Origin of

Coinage3 mins.

Ancient Greek Coins6 mins.

Roman RepublicanCoins5 mins.

Roman ImperialCoins

7.5 mins.

Byzantine Coins7.5 mins.

The Iceman6 mins.

Vesuvius A.D. 796 mins.

Pompeii13 mins.

Herculaneum9 mins.

Minoan Crete10 mins.

Mycenaean Greece7 mins.

Roman Cyprus13 mins.

The Phoenicians13mins.

The Sea Peoples6 mins.

TheCarthaginians

8 mins.

The FirstAmericans

8 mins.

The Olmecs8 mins.

Central Mexico11 mins.

The Maya7 mins.

Coastal Peru7 mins.

Highland Peru7 mins.

Stone AgeMonuments

7 mins.

Avebury &Stonehenge

8 mins.

Dynastic China13 mins.

Terracotta Warriors10 mins.

The IndusCivilisation

12 mins.

Case 23Cyprus:

Medieval Byzantine PotteryDisplayed is a range of Byzantine pottery from Cypruswhich shows examples from the 13thto the 16th centuriesA.D. These examples are based on techniques that evolvedin Asia Minor during the 10th century A.D. with findsfrom Istanbul showing painted decoration in variouscolours under the glaze. The scratched or sgraffito type ofdecoration became wide-spread in the 12th century.Several examples displayed here show Christian symbolsand people who are definitely Christian and Byzantine intheir style of dress and general depiction. The exampleswe have follow this trend, but are about 200 years later ineach case.

Case 24The Americas

North America - Covers the evidence for thecolonization via Beringia into Alaska and thesubsequent migration southward. The trends in thePaleoindian and Archaic traditions are shown withgraphics, replicas and genuine projectile points.The eskimo cultures in the arctic region arecovered with graphics and examples of bone andantler carving. The last example considered is thedesert culture in the southwest and in particularthe Pueblo Bonito and Mesa Verde buildings.Middle America - Deals first with the Olmeccivilization which is the oldest in America. Mostemphasis is given to the Maya civilization onwhich the Museum has the most artefacts. Thereis a model of a Mayan temple with a burial sitebelow.Cultures evolving in other regions are consideredbriefly with the last culture that of the Aztecs whowere conquered by the Spanish in 1523.South America - Considers the cultures thatdeveloped along the coast with most attentiongiven to the Paracas and Mochica cultures, withbrief mention of Chavin, Viru, Nazca and Chimu.There are also artefacts displayed from variouscultures in Equador and Colombia. The highlandsbeyond Tiahuanaco saw the development and theexpansion of the Inca Empire which was the largestpre-industrial state in the New World.

Inuit carving in antler

Mayanchild’s rattle

Sgraffito bowl, 14th cent. A.D.

Paracas cultureblack ware vase

with birds,Coastal Peru

Case 26a South East Asian Ceramic Trade, A.D. 900 to1400Chinese ceramic products were traded overseas from A.D.900 to 1400, and at the end of the 11th century wereChina's leading export article, reaching to Egypt, Iran andthe East African coast. The Chinese government imposedrestrictions on this trade at the end of the 14th century(Ming Dynasty), and the arrival of the Portuguese in theIndian Ocean from 1498 affected its organization globally.The examples shown here come from the Philippines andmany have been found in the islands of Panay andMindanao, where they were included in burials. ThePhilippines being relatively close to China, the trading ofpottery products there continued into the Ch'ing Dynasty(1644 to 1911).

Hinduism is India’s major religion, and someearly traits were apparent in sites of the Harappancivilisation. It later expanded into Nepal andSouth East Asia (eg. Bali, Java & Cambodia),but has since been replaced in some areas byBuddhism or Islam. Buddhism appeared in Indiaabout 500 B.C. followed by Islam in the early11th century and Sikhism in the 15th century.It is generally held that ‘Indianisation’ of localpolitics through trade was a prime factor in therise of urban centres in South East Asia. Chineseporcelains first appear in island South East Asiaabout A.D. 950 and indicate a rapid increase inforeign contact at this time.Trading between China, Southern India and SouthEast Asia was associated with the spread ofHinduism and Buddhism in these regions and sawthe construction of Hindu and Buddhistmonuments such as Borobodor in Java aboutA.D. 800 and Angkor Wat in Cambodia aboutA.D. 880. Between A.D. 1300 and 1600 Islam(from India), spread rapidly throughout theislands of South East Asia, again occurring alongestablished trading networks.

Asian Archaeology cont’d

Small Ch’ing dish

Bronze statuette of Buddha; Thailand, 17th-18th cent. style

Case 25African Archaeology

Africa’s recent past shows the development ofagricultural systems, the emergence of cities andindependent states, the growth of extensive tradingnetworks, the attainment of technological skillsparticularly in metallurgy, and the appearance ofunique art forms.The Islamic Culture in Egypt is represented bymaterial from Fustat, the predecessor of Cairo setup by Amr ibn al-As who conquered Egypt in A.D.639 to 642. The artefacts from Fustat range in agefrom A.D. 1100 to 1860.The X-Group and Early Christian cultures of thefirst and early second millennium A.D. arerepresented by material from Qasr Ibrim, a fortifiedsettlement on the east bank of the Nile north of AbuSimbel.Aksum saw the development of multistoriedbuildings and large stone monuments from A.D. Ito XI century, and early acceptance of Christianity.Gedi was a centre on the Kenyan coast with Arabmerchants involved in the Indian Ocean trade. TheSwahili culture combines elements from bothAfrican and Arabic sources which remains the case.The Kingdom of Bunyoro, one of the Interlacustrinestates of East Central Africa that developed overthe last 1000 years, is featured briefly in this case.The African city at Zimbabwe, dating from aboutA.D.1250 to 1450, and the smaller settlement atManikweni in Mozambique, are also mentioned.Nigerian cultures at Nok between 500 B.C. andA.D. 200, and at Benin A.D. 1400 to 1600, thelatter well known for its bronze work, are noted aswell.The cultural sequence at Jenne-Jeno in Mali, whichshows development from 250 B.C. to A.D. 1000,is covered; it was abandoned about A.D. 1400. Case 26

Asian ArchaeologyArtefacts and replicas indicating cultural change inIndia and its influence in South East Asia are shownwith the oldest examples at the bottom. India wasfirst settled about 1 million years ago and the earliestfarming appeared about 6000 B.C. in the uplandsof Afghanistan and Pakistan while urban settlementsoccur in the Indus Valley about 2000 B.C. at theHarappa and Mohenjo-daro sites.

Replica seal from Mohenjo-daro

Base ofceramicwatercooler

Coptic silver cross,Aksumite style

Replica bronzemother head fromBenin in Nigeria

Case 26a South East Asian Ceramic Trade, A.D. 900 to1400Chinese ceramic products were traded overseas from A.D.900 to 1400, and at the end of the 11th century wereChina's leading export article, reaching to Egypt, Iran andthe East African coast. The Chinese government imposedrestrictions on this trade at the end of the 14th century(Ming Dynasty), and the arrival of the Portuguese in theIndian Ocean from 1498 affected its organization globally.The examples shown here come from the Philippines andmany have been found in the islands of Panay andMindanao, where they were included in burials. ThePhilippines being relatively close to China, the trading ofpottery products there continued into the Ch'ing Dynasty(1644 to 1911).

Hinduism is India’s major religion, and someearly traits were apparent in sites of the Harappancivilisation. It later expanded into Nepal andSouth East Asia (eg. Bali, Java & Cambodia),but has since been replaced in some areas byBuddhism or Islam. Buddhism appeared in Indiaabout 500 B.C. followed by Islam in the early11th century and Sikhism in the 15th century.It is generally held that ‘Indianisation’ of localpolitics through trade was a prime factor in therise of urban centres in South East Asia. Chineseporcelains first appear in island South East Asiaabout A.D. 950 and indicate a rapid increase inforeign contact at this time.Trading between China, Southern India and SouthEast Asia was associated with the spread ofHinduism and Buddhism in these regions and sawthe construction of Hindu and Buddhistmonuments such as Borobodor in Java aboutA.D. 800 and Angkor Wat in Cambodia aboutA.D. 880. Between A.D. 1300 and 1600 Islam(from India), spread rapidly throughout theislands of South East Asia, again occurring alongestablished trading networks.

Asian Archaeology cont’d

Small Ch’ing dish

Bronze statuette of Buddha; Thailand, 17th-18th cent. style

Case 25African Archaeology

Africa’s recent past shows the development ofagricultural systems, the emergence of cities andindependent states, the growth of extensive tradingnetworks, the attainment of technological skillsparticularly in metallurgy, and the appearance ofunique art forms.The Islamic Culture in Egypt is represented bymaterial from Fustat, the predecessor of Cairo setup by Amr ibn al-As who conquered Egypt in A.D.639 to 642. The artefacts from Fustat range in agefrom A.D. 1100 to 1860.The X-Group and Early Christian cultures of thefirst and early second millennium A.D. arerepresented by material from Qasr Ibrim, a fortifiedsettlement on the east bank of the Nile north of AbuSimbel.Aksum saw the development of multistoriedbuildings and large stone monuments from A.D. Ito XI century, and early acceptance of Christianity.Gedi was a centre on the Kenyan coast with Arabmerchants involved in the Indian Ocean trade. TheSwahili culture combines elements from bothAfrican and Arabic sources which remains the case.The Kingdom of Bunyoro, one of the Interlacustrinestates of East Central Africa that developed overthe last 1000 years, is featured briefly in this case.The African city at Zimbabwe, dating from aboutA.D.1250 to 1450, and the smaller settlement atManikweni in Mozambique, are also mentioned.Nigerian cultures at Nok between 500 B.C. andA.D. 200, and at Benin A.D. 1400 to 1600, thelatter well known for its bronze work, are noted aswell.The cultural sequence at Jenne-Jeno in Mali, whichshows development from 250 B.C. to A.D. 1000,is covered; it was abandoned about A.D. 1400. Case 26

Asian ArchaeologyArtefacts and replicas indicating cultural change inIndia and its influence in South East Asia are shownwith the oldest examples at the bottom. India wasfirst settled about 1 million years ago and the earliestfarming appeared about 6000 B.C. in the uplandsof Afghanistan and Pakistan while urban settlementsoccur in the Indus Valley about 2000 B.C. at theHarappa and Mohenjo-daro sites.

Replica seal from Mohenjo-daro

Base ofceramicwatercooler

Coptic silver cross,Aksumite style

Replica bronzemother head fromBenin in Nigeria

Case 27Ancient Coin Collection

The first section covers ancient Greek coins fromGreece and Greek colonies in Italy and South West Asia,dating from 530 B.C. to 168 B.C. Of particular interestare the tetradrachms from Athens with an owl, fromSyracuse with dolphins, and from Macedonia with thehero Herakles.The next section covers the Roman Republican Period,all the coins displayed being silver denarii producedby various moneyers, among them Julius Caesar.The Early Roman Imperial Period has some coins ofparticular interest, e.g. of Augustus the first emperor,of Tiberius here represented by the so called 'TributePenny', a bronze coin from the time of Pontius Pilateand two bronze coins of Nero The Middle ImperialPeriod shows more bronze coinage, includingprovincial coins from Alexandria with Greekinscriptions. During imperial times there was inflationand debasing of the coinage and towards the end of thethird century Diocletian introduced monetary reforms.The Late Imperial Period saw further monetary changesby Constantine the Great, and is largely represented bysmaller bronze coins extending to the time when theRoman Empire was divided into East and West.The last section covers the Byzantine Period from A.D.527 to A.D. 1071 and is represented by copper coins ofvarious denominations. In the early years Romaninfluence is still strong, and inscriptions tend to be inLatin, but with time were replaced by Greek.Coins may also be displayed in other cases whereappropriate and others are in storage, including someexamples from southern Asia.

Case 28 Entrance Display

Sometimes this area is used to display recentacquisitions, but is mainly used to indicate the diversityand range of the artefacts on display inside the Museumand in the other cabinets outside the Museum in thefoyer area in front of the A2 lecture theatre (see planon next page).On the inside of Case 28 is a small display of huntingequipment used by the bushmen of Botswana insouthern Africa, who are also known as the Koisan orSan.Centenary plate 1788 - 1888

Roman silver denarius of Julius Caesar

Greek tetradrachm from Athens

Byzantine copper follis of Romanus IV Case 29 Greek Colonial Life 2500 years agoAncient Greek culture spread through a number ofcolonies that were established around the Mediterraneanand Black Seas. This display consists of pottery fromburials near Gela, a Greek colonial settlement on thesouth coast of Sicily. The objects are everyday articles,such as would have been found in the houses of theordinary Greeks of the time, although some of them mayhave been made specifically for burial with the dead.Thus the display provides an idea of life in a Hellenistictown during the last few centuries B.C. One pot of fineGreek workmanship made in Southern Italy in the 4thcentury B.C. is included in the display, to emphasize bycontrast the plainness of the pottery in everyday use.The material in this case is from the Woite Collection.

Solomon Island club

DisplaysOutsideMuseum

Cup from Gela

Wheel-made lamp19

Papua New Guineaancestor figure

Case 27Ancient Coin Collection

The first section covers ancient Greek coins fromGreece and Greek colonies in Italy and South West Asia,dating from 530 B.C. to 168 B.C. Of particular interestare the tetradrachms from Athens with an owl, fromSyracuse with dolphins, and from Macedonia with thehero Herakles.The next section covers the Roman Republican Period,all the coins displayed being silver denarii producedby various moneyers, among them Julius Caesar.The Early Roman Imperial Period has some coins ofparticular interest, e.g. of Augustus the first emperor,of Tiberius here represented by the so called 'TributePenny', a bronze coin from the time of Pontius Pilateand two bronze coins of Nero The Middle ImperialPeriod shows more bronze coinage, includingprovincial coins from Alexandria with Greekinscriptions. During imperial times there was inflationand debasing of the coinage and towards the end of thethird century Diocletian introduced monetary reforms.The Late Imperial Period saw further monetary changesby Constantine the Great, and is largely represented bysmaller bronze coins extending to the time when theRoman Empire was divided into East and West.The last section covers the Byzantine Period from A.D.527 to A.D. 1071 and is represented by copper coins ofvarious denominations. In the early years Romaninfluence is still strong, and inscriptions tend to be inLatin, but with time were replaced by Greek.Coins may also be displayed in other cases whereappropriate and others are in storage, including someexamples from southern Asia.

Case 28 Entrance Display

Sometimes this area is used to display recentacquisitions, but is mainly used to indicate the diversityand range of the artefacts on display inside the Museumand in the other cabinets outside the Museum in thefoyer area in front of the A2 lecture theatre (see planon next page).On the inside of Case 28 is a small display of huntingequipment used by the bushmen of Botswana insouthern Africa, who are also known as the Koisan orSan.Centenary plate 1788 - 1888

Roman silver denarius of Julius Caesar

Greek tetradrachm from Athens

Byzantine copper follis of Romanus IV Case 29 Greek Colonial Life 2500 years agoAncient Greek culture spread through a number ofcolonies that were established around the Mediterraneanand Black Seas. This display consists of pottery fromburials near Gela, a Greek colonial settlement on thesouth coast of Sicily. The objects are everyday articles,such as would have been found in the houses of theordinary Greeks of the time, although some of them mayhave been made specifically for burial with the dead.Thus the display provides an idea of life in a Hellenistictown during the last few centuries B.C. One pot of fineGreek workmanship made in Southern Italy in the 4thcentury B.C. is included in the display, to emphasize bycontrast the plainness of the pottery in everyday use.The material in this case is from the Woite Collection.

Solomon Island club

DisplaysOutsideMuseum

Cup from Gela

Wheel-made lamp19

Papua New Guineaancestor figure

Case 32 Bernard Hesling PaintingsThe paintings by Bernard Hesling on metal traysentitled “Greek Helmets” and “Rome Burns” werepurchased by the Museum in 1972. They are usedalong with a range of artefacts from the Mediterraneanregion as general advertising for the cultural changesshown in the Greek, Roman, South West Asian andCypriot displays in the Museum.

Case 31 Sepik River Culture

This case displays further Sepik material withsome examples not shown in Case 17, such as thelarge mask, bird headed flute and the cassowarybone dagger. Other artefacts of particular interestare the carved ancestor figures, ceramic ridgepolebase, basket hook and examples of shell and glasscurrency. The basket hook is used for suspendingitems such as the woven bilum bags overhead inthe house. The two ancestor figures with headshaving the form of a duck’s bill come from thetribe at Mindam village at the Murik Lakes westof the mouth of the Sepik River, and the historyof their belief in this ancestor figure is given.

Case 30 Cyprus:

Medieval Pottery TechnologyThis display shows a selection of pottery, dating fromthe 13th-16th centuries A.D., made in Cyprus in theeastern Mediterranean. Cyprus was an importantcultural crossroads between East and West, and thisis reflected in the technical quality of the potteryshown here. It is richly decorated, glazedearthernware and ‘stoneware’, superior in quality tomuch of the pottery being made at that time inWestern Europe. Of particular interest is the‘sgraffito’ decoration on some of these pots. This wasdone by scratching the decoration through a surfacecoating known as a ‘slip’, before the glaze wasapplied.

Sgraffito bowl 14th cent. AD

East Sepik River mask fromTimbunke village

‘Greek Helmets’ by Hesling

Case 35 India and China

The first half of the case shows a muslim prayer mat along with graphicsdealing with Indian cultures, and in particular the rise of the Mogul Em-pire. The associated photographs give some idea of the different buildingstyles in the region, and here extend to Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma).The other half of the case deals with Chinese cultures and displays asmall model showing the form of the warriors buried at Xian. The graph-ics and pictures show examples of bronzes, ceramics and lacquered uten-sils, in many cases coming from tombs of the different dynasties in vari-ous parts of China. Some examples of the characteristic Chinese pagodaare shown, along with the Great Wall of China built in the reign of thefirst emperor Qin Shi Huang Di about 221 B.C.

Case 34 Papua and New GuineaThis case houses a range of artefacts from Papua& New Guinea representing cultures, in someinstances distinct from the Sepik River region.It includes some material on longterm loan,such as the stone mace heads which show arange of different forms and would have beenformidable weapons when securely hafted.Other weapons are a bow with arrows, possiblyan adze, and lastly an axe which probably wasonly used in ceremonial events. Also shown areexamples of the so-called “airport” art popularfrom the 1950s to the 1970s which consists ofcarved masks, a basket hook and a carvedcrocodile.

Case 33 The Trobriand Islands

The majority of artefacts displayed here are onlongterm loan and consist of a very fine collectionof carved spatulas used in the preparation of someof the ingredients that are mixed for the chewingof betel nut. There is a diverse range of necklacesusing different coloured threads, shells, dog teeth,boar tusks, beads and a stone disk.Various fineexamples of wood carving are shown in the twoshields (one for fighting and the other for dancing),the canoe prow and the other wooden artefactswhich, along with the obsidian knives, indicate therange of skills in this culture.

Hafted obsidianknife

Hardwood ovaldish with inlaid

Ceremonialaxe

Stone mace head

Xian warrior

Case 32 Bernard Hesling PaintingsThe paintings by Bernard Hesling on metal traysentitled “Greek Helmets” and “Rome Burns” werepurchased by the Museum in 1972. They are usedalong with a range of artefacts from the Mediterraneanregion as general advertising for the cultural changesshown in the Greek, Roman, South West Asian andCypriot displays in the Museum.

Case 31 Sepik River Culture

This case displays further Sepik material withsome examples not shown in Case 17, such as thelarge mask, bird headed flute and the cassowarybone dagger. Other artefacts of particular interestare the carved ancestor figures, ceramic ridgepolebase, basket hook and examples of shell and glasscurrency. The basket hook is used for suspendingitems such as the woven bilum bags overhead inthe house. The two ancestor figures with headshaving the form of a duck’s bill come from thetribe at Mindam village at the Murik Lakes westof the mouth of the Sepik River, and the historyof their belief in this ancestor figure is given.

Case 30 Cyprus:

Medieval Pottery TechnologyThis display shows a selection of pottery, dating fromthe 13th-16th centuries A.D., made in Cyprus in theeastern Mediterranean. Cyprus was an importantcultural crossroads between East and West, and thisis reflected in the technical quality of the potteryshown here. It is richly decorated, glazedearthernware and ‘stoneware’, superior in quality tomuch of the pottery being made at that time inWestern Europe. Of particular interest is the‘sgraffito’ decoration on some of these pots. This wasdone by scratching the decoration through a surfacecoating known as a ‘slip’, before the glaze wasapplied.

Sgraffito bowl 14th cent. AD

East Sepik River mask fromTimbunke village

‘Greek Helmets’ by Hesling

Case 35 India and China

The first half of the case shows a muslim prayer mat along with graphicsdealing with Indian cultures, and in particular the rise of the Mogul Em-pire. The associated photographs give some idea of the different buildingstyles in the region, and here extend to Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma).The other half of the case deals with Chinese cultures and displays asmall model showing the form of the warriors buried at Xian. The graph-ics and pictures show examples of bronzes, ceramics and lacquered uten-sils, in many cases coming from tombs of the different dynasties in vari-ous parts of China. Some examples of the characteristic Chinese pagodaare shown, along with the Great Wall of China built in the reign of thefirst emperor Qin Shi Huang Di about 221 B.C.

Case 34 Papua and New GuineaThis case houses a range of artefacts from Papua& New Guinea representing cultures, in someinstances distinct from the Sepik River region.It includes some material on longterm loan,such as the stone mace heads which show arange of different forms and would have beenformidable weapons when securely hafted.Other weapons are a bow with arrows, possiblyan adze, and lastly an axe which probably wasonly used in ceremonial events. Also shown areexamples of the so-called “airport” art popularfrom the 1950s to the 1970s which consists ofcarved masks, a basket hook and a carvedcrocodile.

Case 33 The Trobriand Islands

The majority of artefacts displayed here are onlongterm loan and consist of a very fine collectionof carved spatulas used in the preparation of someof the ingredients that are mixed for the chewingof betel nut. There is a diverse range of necklacesusing different coloured threads, shells, dog teeth,boar tusks, beads and a stone disk.Various fineexamples of wood carving are shown in the twoshields (one for fighting and the other for dancing),the canoe prow and the other wooden artefactswhich, along with the obsidian knives, indicate therange of skills in this culture.

Hafted obsidianknife

Hardwood ovaldish with inlaid

Ceremonialaxe

Stone mace head

Xian warrior

Aboriginal Rock ArtFacing the concourse to the left of the displays on Australian historical archaeology is a large painting ofAboriginal rock art which was painted at Iona Station near Winbar in the South Darling River District,N.S.W. The painting was done in 1967 by Mr Fred Roberts an Armidale artist whose works are wellknown in the New England region.

Case 40 Nagakeo and Ngada CultureThis case displays a wide range of artefacts fromFlores, East Indonesia showing weapons used inhunting such as the blow gun & darts, spear, harpoonand bow & arrow. The parang or large knife is usedin heavy work and for personal defence. Also shownare smaller general purpose knives and a longceremonial sword. There is a range of utensilsincluding woven baskets, a chicken cage, a wovenplate, another plate made from a gourd and a largepottery cooking pot. The clothing is predominantlyblack with coloured patterns and is woven from kapokthread, spun using a spinning weight. Jewellery hereconsists of pendant, leaf-shaped gilded earrings withhanging attachments. There is a musical instrumentmade from bamboo and lastly the carved Andeleofigures on horseback, which would be displayed inthe house and represent the ancestors of theinhabitants.

The Maurice Kelly LectureEvery year the Museum Committee invites an eminent scholar to give the Maurice Kelly Lecture whichis a public lecture held at the University and commemorates the first curator and founder of the Museum.The lectures tend to alternate from year to year on topics from either Classical Archaeology or recentAnthopology. Each lecture is bound into a small booklet with associated graphics and is available for salefrom the Museum of Antiquities . Contact the Honorary Curator by email: [email protected] orby phone at 02 6773 3197 or 02 6773 2555

Ngada ceremonial sword Ngada cooking pot

Nagakeo woven plate

Nagakeo woven cotton ikat or sarong

Cases 38 & 39 Australian Historical ArchaeologyThe artefacts displayed here are from three separateexcavations at Australian sites in the 20th century andinvolve different aspects in the recent history of Australia.One deals with the excavation of the foundations of thelarge rural homestead ‘Winterbourne’ built in the 1840s,near Walcha, NSW; another involved a blacksmith’s shopat Llangothlan near Guyra, NSW, and the last oneexcavation of the rubbish dump at the prison on SaintHelena Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland. This studygives information on the diet of the people and examplesof articles in everyday use at the prison community.

Case 37 The Philippines & OceaniaThe first half of the case displays a mat made by theBajau people or Sea Gypsies of Zamboanga inMindanao, in the Philippines. Various pictures showother aspects of the life of these people. The other halfof the case shows aspects of the history of Hawaii alongwith information on the death of Captain Cook, tat-tooing, tapa cloth making from mulberry bark, andthe weaving of pandanus leaves, and lastly displaysa very fine example of a chief’s woven sarong fromSamoa.

Case 36 The Pacific

This case deals with artefacts from the western part ofthe Oceania region, which can be here divided into Mela-nesia (which includes the Solomon Islands, along withFiji), and Western Polynesia (which includes Samoaand Tonga). Of particular interest here are the exam-ples of tapa cloth from Fiji and Samoa which are madefrom tree bark and are painted with various designs.This technique is a Polynesian skill that has come toFiji from Tonga, a relatively near neighbour. The fineweaving shown in the baby’s cradle from Samoa is alsofound in Melanesia along with other skills such as thenecklace made out of small discs of shell drilled andthreaded on cord.

Virgin’s girdle of seed pods andyellow strips, Samoa

Necklace of fine shell discsfrom the Solomon Islands

Fan made from an anahaw leaf,from the Philippines

Ink bottle from the dump at the prison on Saint Helena Island.

Aboriginal Rock ArtFacing the concourse to the left of the displays on Australian historical archaeology is a large painting ofAboriginal rock art which was painted at Iona Station near Winbar in the South Darling River District,N.S.W. The painting was done in 1967 by Mr Fred Roberts an Armidale artist whose works are wellknown in the New England region.

Case 40 Nagakeo and Ngada CultureThis case displays a wide range of artefacts fromFlores, East Indonesia showing weapons used inhunting such as the blow gun & darts, spear, harpoonand bow & arrow. The parang or large knife is usedin heavy work and for personal defence. Also shownare smaller general purpose knives and a longceremonial sword. There is a range of utensilsincluding woven baskets, a chicken cage, a wovenplate, another plate made from a gourd and a largepottery cooking pot. The clothing is predominantlyblack with coloured patterns and is woven from kapokthread, spun using a spinning weight. Jewellery hereconsists of pendant, leaf-shaped gilded earrings withhanging attachments. There is a musical instrumentmade from bamboo and lastly the carved Andeleofigures on horseback, which would be displayed inthe house and represent the ancestors of theinhabitants.

The Maurice Kelly LectureEvery year the Museum Committee invites an eminent scholar to give the Maurice Kelly Lecture whichis a public lecture held at the University and commemorates the first curator and founder of the Museum.The lectures tend to alternate from year to year on topics from either Classical Archaeology or recentAnthopology. Each lecture is bound into a small booklet with associated graphics and is available for salefrom the Museum of Antiquities . Contact the Honorary Curator by email: [email protected] orby phone at 02 6773 3197 or 02 6773 2555

Ngada ceremonial sword Ngada cooking pot

Nagakeo woven plate

Nagakeo woven cotton ikat or sarong

Cases 38 & 39 Australian Historical ArchaeologyThe artefacts displayed here are from three separateexcavations at Australian sites in the 20th century andinvolve different aspects in the recent history of Australia.One deals with the excavation of the foundations of thelarge rural homestead ‘Winterbourne’ built in the 1840s,near Walcha, NSW; another involved a blacksmith’s shopat Llangothlan near Guyra, NSW, and the last oneexcavation of the rubbish dump at the prison on SaintHelena Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland. This studygives information on the diet of the people and examplesof articles in everyday use at the prison community.

Case 37 The Philippines & OceaniaThe first half of the case displays a mat made by theBajau people or Sea Gypsies of Zamboanga inMindanao, in the Philippines. Various pictures showother aspects of the life of these people. The other halfof the case shows aspects of the history of Hawaii alongwith information on the death of Captain Cook, tat-tooing, tapa cloth making from mulberry bark, andthe weaving of pandanus leaves, and lastly displaysa very fine example of a chief’s woven sarong fromSamoa.

Case 36 The Pacific

This case deals with artefacts from the western part ofthe Oceania region, which can be here divided into Mela-nesia (which includes the Solomon Islands, along withFiji), and Western Polynesia (which includes Samoaand Tonga). Of particular interest here are the exam-ples of tapa cloth from Fiji and Samoa which are madefrom tree bark and are painted with various designs.This technique is a Polynesian skill that has come toFiji from Tonga, a relatively near neighbour. The fineweaving shown in the baby’s cradle from Samoa is alsofound in Melanesia along with other skills such as thenecklace made out of small discs of shell drilled andthreaded on cord.

Virgin’s girdle of seed pods andyellow strips, Samoa

Necklace of fine shell discsfrom the Solomon Islands

Fan made from an anahaw leaf,from the Philippines

Ink bottle from the dump at the prison on Saint Helena Island.

Produced by the Committee of the Museum of Antiquities, Armidale, N.S.W.Second edition with major revisions, December, 2002.

Printed by the University of New England Printery

ISBN 1 86389 040 8

Access to descriptions and pictures of the holdings of the Museum of Antiquities canbe obtained from the “Australian University Museums On Line” website:

http://aumol.usyd.edu.au

Parang from

Viewing of the cases and their layout may be made via the Museum’s website which islocated in the Arts Faculty entries of the University of New England, or directly at the sitebelow: http://www.une.edu.au/~arts/Museum

Bronze Age sword from Europe

Flores

The front cover depicts a bronze figure of Vishnu in Cambodian style, a plastershabti from Egypt, a carved wooden ancestor figure from the Sepik region of PapuaNew Guinea, and below an aboriginal woomera or spear thrower from the

Kimberley region in northern Western Australia.

Bronze Age terracotta wagon from Syria, 2000 -1900 B.C.

access to descriptions and pictures of the holdings of the ......30,000 years ago. between 30,000...

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