Following the Biblical Fire thread, there seems to be some interest in a BCUK visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. This is possibly the most extensive collection of anthropological artifacts in the UK.
Items are typically organised by function, rather than origin so there are, for example, two cases dedicated to firelighting methods (including hand and bow drills, ploughs, saws, sawing thongs, flint and steels). Many of these have actually been used by the native peoples from whom they were 'collected'.
There is no reason why people can't go along individually (the museum is open every day) and entry is free (though you can make a donation) but a group visit seems a nice idea. Although I don't know if it will be possible, I'm pursuing a contact at the museum to see whether special visits for groups can be arranged, e.g. whether one of the curators could give us a more detailed tour of parts of the collection (e.g. firemaking artifacts).
If a visit were to be arranged, I'd have thought that the early months of the new year would be appropriate. I'll update this thread if /when I hear back about a specialised tour, but it would be useful to hear how many (if any!) people would like to go as a BCUK group - just so I know if it is worth pursuing. I'm guessing it would only be appropriate for those people who can make a day trip to Oxford, as I'm not aware of any wild camping sites close to Oxford (though there is a tent /caravan site on the outskirts).
Geoff
Permanent displays in the Museum are ethnographic and archaeological and include the following:
Pacific island objects, including a magnificent Tahitian mourner's costume, collected during Captain Cook's Second Voyage in 1773-74; Hawaiian feather cloaks in brilliant shades of red and yellow; a wide range of handwoven textiles and looms; a collection of ceremonial brasses and ivories from the Kingdom of Benin; a fine group of early masks worn by actors in Japanese Noh dramas; more masks from Africa, Melanesia and North America; sculpture from all over the world in wood, pottery, metal and stone; boats, ranging from full-sized sailing craft to model canoes; baskets in all possible shapes and sizes; pottery from Africa and the Americas, including many pre-Columbian pieces; costumes from North America including Inuit fur parkas, Plains skin shirts decorated with porcupine quills, painted coats from the Northeastern Woodlands and a range of decorated moccasins; magic objects including amulets and charms; jewellery and body decoration; locks and keys; tools and weapons; musical instruments.
Items are typically organised by function, rather than origin so there are, for example, two cases dedicated to firelighting methods (including hand and bow drills, ploughs, saws, sawing thongs, flint and steels). Many of these have actually been used by the native peoples from whom they were 'collected'.
There is no reason why people can't go along individually (the museum is open every day) and entry is free (though you can make a donation) but a group visit seems a nice idea. Although I don't know if it will be possible, I'm pursuing a contact at the museum to see whether special visits for groups can be arranged, e.g. whether one of the curators could give us a more detailed tour of parts of the collection (e.g. firemaking artifacts).
If a visit were to be arranged, I'd have thought that the early months of the new year would be appropriate. I'll update this thread if /when I hear back about a specialised tour, but it would be useful to hear how many (if any!) people would like to go as a BCUK group - just so I know if it is worth pursuing. I'm guessing it would only be appropriate for those people who can make a day trip to Oxford, as I'm not aware of any wild camping sites close to Oxford (though there is a tent /caravan site on the outskirts).
Geoff