New Guinea
p. 74 · Read in the full issue
Ancient Stone Dishes of New Guinea
Letter to the Editor.
YOUR magazine evidently reaches many distant corners of Oceania; for I get letters from all kinds of out-of-the-way Islands. I have a very interesting letter, illustrated, from our friend, Mr. J. D. O’Neill, of Holden’s Air Trans port, New Guinea. He gives sketches of very ancient stone dishes, or pans, of a novel kind, found in the Morobe district. They are of fine grained, grey stone; and are in shape like the foot of a woman buried in the sand with her feet pro truding. from the ankles —the heel lower than the toes. The “sole” is hollowed out, clearly for the same purpose that we tilt the prospecting dish, and is deepest at the heel end.
Many other stone artifacts have been found, among them a great fighting-club, partly made.
The present inhabitants of the district have, to-day, no stone-tools or weapons!
My correspondent, in his long, and most valuable letter, asks if such objects are “worth preserving.”
As well ask Sherlock Holmes if the blood-stained handkerchief may prove useful! We are passing just now through a greedy, commercial, materialis tic age, when anything of a purely artistic, musical or scientific nature is apt to be sneered at; but the Cromwell is sure to turn up, sooner or later!
Nations and communities reach certain stages of development; and then start again advancing or fall back into partial savagedom. Why? The historian, or archaeologist, is trying to elucidate the reasons, for the benefit of future generations.
Yes, friend O’Neill, please keep your finds until you can place them with the best authority upon
the subject.
I am, etc.,
Arthur J. Vogan.
Sydney, February 1, 1936.