Abstract
New Guinea Pygmies AMONG the more interesting results of Lord Moyne's expedition to New Guinea, from which the collections are now on exhibition at 10 Grosvenor Place, London, S.W.I (see NATURE, May 30, p. 898) is the confirmation of rumours as to the existence of a hitherto unrecorded group of pygmies inhabiting the Aiome foothills of the Middle Ramu region between Atemble (about seventy miles from the mouth of the Ramu) and Mount Hagen. Some further particulars of the information relating to this group obtained by Lord Moyne are given by Mr. H. J. Braunholtz in Man of June. The members of the expedition were not allowed to enter the villages of the pygmies, as they are ‘uncontrolled'; but about twenty-five of the pygmies visited the expedition for trade. Twelve males who were measured averaged 54J in. (1.385 m.) in stature and three females 51J in. (1-31 m.). The extremes ranged from 52 in. to 57 in and 50J in. and 53 in. respectively. They were light brown in colour, of about the same shade as light-skinned Polynesians. Mr. Braunholtz points out that these are the lowest figures yet recorded for any pygmy group in New Guinea, and are about equal to those of the pygmies of the Congo. The Tapiro of the Mimika average 57 in., while the next group averages 58J in., a fact which led H. J. T. Bijlmer in his report on the physical anthropology of New Guinea to question whether there is a pygmy race there at all, regarding these low-statured peoples as local variants of the variable Papuan stock. The Aiome group is, therefore, a new fact of outstanding importance. Several complete pygmy equipments were obtained, a typical outfit including: a bow, three arrows with wide bamboo blades for pig, one four-pronged arrow for birds, four barbed arrows for fighting, two plain pointed arrows; a small round shield slung on the left side in net bag, bone dagger, bamboo louse scratcher with wallaby fur puff, belt of plaited vine, neck pendants of various teeth and seeds, head-dress of bark-cloth, garters and arm bands, pubic covering of bark, pandanus mat for rain.
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Research Items. Nature 137, 1037–1039 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/1371037a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1371037a0