Book

Samoan material culture

The Museum (75) • Published In 1930 • Pages: 1 l., xi, [1], [3]-724

By: Buck, Peter Henry.

Abstract
This document is a fairly complete catalog of Samoan material culture. However, some relevant material on Samoan social structure is included. Buck does not provide a great deal on those aspects of material culture which are adequately covered in other documents. He deals intensively with housing, utensils, food plants and animals, kava, plaiting, clothing, bark cloth, tools, boats, fishing and hunting gear, games, weapons, ornaments, and tattooing. Distributional comparisons of Samoan material culture with that of other Oceanic groups occur frequently throughout the text, and the concluding chapter consists of a summary of the material cultural position of Samoa in Polynesia. This section (pp. 661-680) has been marked for both OU8 Samoa and OS2 Polynesians. Fifty-six end plates are described in a section of the text which precedes them. A paginated index follows the plates. The author spent six months in Samoa in 1927-28, distributed as follows: three weeks in Tutuila, two months in Manua, and over two months in Savaii and Upolu. The author also makes extensive use of the literature on Samoa and on Polynesia as a whole.
Subjects
Comparative evidence
Prehistory
Cordage
Felted and other non-interworked fabrics
Mats and basketry
Normal garb
Paint and dye manufacture
Dwellings
General tools
Food preparation
Personal grooming
Boats
Shipbuilding
Fishing gear
culture
Samoans
HRAF PubDate
2009
Region
Oceania
Sub Region
Polynesia
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
William W. Stein ; 1956
Field Date
1927-1928
Coverage Date
1927-1928
Coverage Place
Western Samoa
Notes
by Te Rangi Hiroa (P. H. Buck)
'Literature cited': p. 681-682
LCCN
31012925
LCSH
Ethnology--Samoan Islands/Samoa