Madang Museum
Madang Museum is a museum in Madang, Papua New Guinea, which displays objects from its locality and the East Sepik province.
| Established | 6 June 1981 |
|---|---|
| Location | Madang, Papua New Guinea |
| Coordinates | 5.2261938°S 145.800925°E |
| Type | Local |
Background
In 1975 the suggestion arose that a local museum should be created in Madang, an idea that was supported by the government of the province, expatriates, and local tourist businesses. The museum opened on 6 June 1981. It was opened by Kaki Angi, then Minister for Tourism for the province.[1] The museum shares a building with the Madang Visitors and Cultural Bureau.[2] In 2015 the museum underwent a restoration programme, led by ethnographer and volunteer Mary Mennis. Madang Provincial Government covers wages and utility costs for the museum, but other funding comes from private donations.[3]
Collections and research
The museum collection contains both ethnographic and natural science objects.[1] One notable object is a head-dress from Bosmum village which was worn as part of a male initiation ritual.[2] As of 2008 approximately half of the objects on display were from Madang and the rest from East Sepik Province.[1] The museum was a partner in a research project which explored diet in the region over the last millennium through zooarchaeological analysis, as well as lipid analysis.[4]
References
- Stanley, Nick (2008). The Future of Indigenous Museums: Perspectives from the Southwest Pacific. Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-84545-596-5.
- "Madang Museum | Madang, Papua New Guinea Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
- "Volunteer Help Madang Museum – EMTV Online". Retrieved 2021-07-17.
- Gaffney, Dylan; Greig, Karen; Stoddart, Debbie; Tromp, Monica; Field, Judith H.; Luu, Sindy; Coster, Adelle C. F.; Russell, Tristan; Mandui, Herman; Summerhayes, Glenn R. (2020-10-02). "Tropical Foodways and Exchange along the Coastal Margin of Northeastern New Guinea". Journal of Field Archaeology. 45 (7): 498–511. doi:10.1080/00934690.2020.1786285. ISSN 0093-4690. S2CID 221666697.