The dwelling of Papuars - a house on a tree. Material culture of Papuans and Melanesians Family installation of Papuans

New Guinea is called the "island of Papuans". In rebuilding from Indonesian pope V. — "Kuchetiay".
The tribes of Papuans and the truth of the top noles and Kucherals.
The island of uto-fell in tropical forests; There it is hot and wet, almost every day pour rains.
In such a climate it is better to stay harder from dirty and wet earth.
Therefore, in New Guinea, there are almost no dwellings standing on Earth: usually they are under-nits on piles and can stand even over water.
The magnitude of the house depends on how many people will live in it: one family or a whole settlement. For the village, build houses up to 200 meters long.
The most common type of construction is a rectangular house with a duplex roof.
Piles usually raise a house for two or four meters above the ground, and the tribe kombayev In general, it presses the height of 30 meters. Only there, faithfully, they feel safe.
All the houses of Papuats are built without nails, saws and hammer, with the help of a stone ax, which are virtuoso virtuoso.
The construction of a pile house requires good technical skills and knowledge.
Longitudinal logs are placed on piles, they are transverse crossbars, and Super-Hu is thin fere.
You can get into the house on a log with scubons: first in your different front, more similar to "ve-rana". Behind it is a residential room separated by a bark partition.
There are no windows, the light penetrates from everywhere: and through the entrance, and through the slots in the floor and walls. The roof is crumbling the fox palm trees.

all pictures are clichable

The most amazing dwelling of Papua-owls is a tree house. This is a real technical niche masterpiece. It is usually built on a large tree with a bowl at an altitude of 6-7 meters. The fork is used as the main support of the house and tie a horizontal rectangular frame to it - this is the foundation and at the same time the floor of the house.
The frames are fastened on the frame. Ras-even here must be extremely accurate, so that this design will stand the tree.
The lower area is made from the cortex of Sagari Palma, the top is from the Kenti Palm Board; Roof crootal palm
leaves, instead of the walls of the mat. The cuisine is arranged on the lower platform, and there is also a simple home Skarb. (from the book "Housing of the Peoples of the World" 2002)

Despite the fact that behind the window the rapid XXI century, which is called the age of information technologies, here in the country of Papua - New Guinea, it seems, time stopped.

Papua State - New Guinea

The state is located in Oceania, on several islands. The total area of \u200b\u200babout 500 square kilometers. Population of 8 million people. The capital is the city of Port Morsby. The head of state is the Queen of Great Britain.

The name "Papua" is translated as "Curly". So called the island in 1526. The navigator from Portugal - the governor of one of the Islands of Indonesia George di Menesis. After 19 years, Spaniard visited the island, one of the first researchers of the Pacific Ocean Islands, Inigo Ortis de Retes and called His New Guinea.

Official language of Papua - New Guinea

The official language is recognized by Tok-Pisin. It tells the majority of the population. And also English, although only one person from one person knows him. Basically, these are government officials. An interesting feature: in the country more than 800 adventures and therefore Papua - New Guinea is recognized as a country with the largest number of languages \u200b\u200b(10% of all languages \u200b\u200bof the world). The reason for this phenomenon is almost a complete absence of ties between tribes.

Tribes and families in New Guinea

Family of Papuans still live in tribal mode. A separate "society cell" is simply unable to survive without contact with his tribe. This is especially true in the cities, which are quite a lot in the country. However, here the city is considered any settlement whose number is more than a thousand people.

Families of Papuans are united in the tribes and live next to others, urban people. Usually children do not attend schools located in cities. But those who do to learn, very often after one or two years of study returns home. It is also worth noting that girls do not learn at all. Since the girl helps the mother in the household until he was married.

The boy returns to the family to become one of the equal members of his tribe - "crocodile". So called men. Their skin should be similar to the crocodile skin. The young men pass initialization and already then have the right to communicate with equal tribes with the rest of men, they have the right to vote at a meeting or another event passing in the tribe.

The tribe lives one big family, supports and helps each other. But with the neighboring tribe usually does not contact or even frankly emanate. Last time, Papuans have greatly cut their territory, they are increasingly harder to maintain the previous order of living in nature in vivo, their millennial traditions and their unique culture.

In the families of Papua - New Guinea for 30-40 people. Women of the tribe lead a household, care for livestock, give birth to children, collect bananas and coconuts, prepare food.

Food Papuans

Not only fruits are the main food of Papuans. For cooking is used pork. Pigs in the tribe protect and eat their meat very rarely, only on holidays and commemorative dates. More often, they eat small rodents who live in the jungle and leaves of bananas. All dishes from these ingredients, women can cook stunningly.

Marriage and family life of residents of New Guinea

Women practically do not have any rights, submitting to parents first, and then fully their husband. By law (in the country, most of the inhabitants are Christians) the husband is obliged to treat his wife well. But in fact it is far away. The practice of ritual killings of women, on which at least the shadow of suspicion of witchcraft falls. According to statistics, more than 60% of women are constantly subject to domestic violence. International Public Organizations and the Catholic Church constantly beat the alarm on this issue.

But, unfortunately, everything remains still. The girl at 11 - 12 years is already issued to marry. Parents at the same time are deprived of "one more mouth," as the assistant becomes a love girl. And the groom's family acquires free labor, therefore, it looks at all girls of six - eight years. Often the bridegroom can become a man older girl for 20-30 years. But there is no choice. Therefore, each of them is badly accepting his fate as proper.

But the man does not himself choose a future wife, which can only be seen before the traditional wedding ceremony. The decision to choose the bride will be made by the elders of the tribe. Before the wedding, it is customary to lift the woven in the bride's family and bring a gift. Only after such a rite is appointed wedding day. On this day, the ritual "abduction" of the bride passes. The bride should make a decent ransom. It may be not only various valuable things, but also, for example, bankers, branches, vegetables and fruits. When the bride is given to another tribe or other house, its property is divided among the members of the community from which this girl.

Life in marriage you will not call easy. According to the ancient traditions, the woman lives separately from the man. There are so-called female and male houses in the tribe. Adultery, on any side, can be punished very cruel. There are special huts where husband and wife can periodically retake. They can alone in the forest. Girls raise mothers, and boys with seven years men tribe. Children in the tribe are considered common, they are not very ceremony with them. Papuars will not meet such a disease as a hyperemp.

Here is such a difficult family life in Papuans.

The law on witchcraft

In 1971, a law on witchcraft was adopted in the country. It says that a person considers himself "enchanted," is not responsible for his actions. The murder of the sorcerer is a softening circumstance in court proceedings. Very often, women from another tribe are becoming a victim. Four years ago, Gang of Cannibalov, who called himself witch hunters, killed men and women, and then eaten them. The government is trying to struggle with this terrible phenomenon. Finally, the law on witchcraft will be canceled.

It is very logical to start a story about our trip to Papuiasia with a story about the Papuas themselves.
There would be no Papuans - and half of the problems in the campaign to the pyramid, the Carstenz would not have either. But there would be no half charm and exotic.

In general, it is difficult to say, it would be better or worse ... and nothing. At least now - so far from Papuans on the expedition to the pyramid of Carstenz not to go anywhere.

So, our expedition Carstenz 2015 began, like all such expeditions: Bali Airport - Timika Airport.

Heap Baulov, sleepless night. Vain attempts at least somehow sleep on the plane.

Timika is still a civilization, but already Papua. You understand this from the first steps. Or from the first ads in the toilet.

But our path lies even further. From Timika on a small charter plane we need to fly to the village of Sugap. Previously, the expedition went from the village of Ilacious. The path is simpler there, a little shorter. But the last three years in Ilaga settled so-called separatists. Therefore, expeditions start from the Sugap.

Roughly speaking, Papua is the region occupied by Indonesia. Papuans do not consider Indonesians to themselves. Previously, the government paid money. Just. For the fact that they are Papuans. Last years fifteen money has ceased to pay. But the inhabitants of Papua are accustomed that white (relatively) people must give them money.
Now this "should give" is displayed mainly on tourists.

Already not so vigorous after the night flight. We moved to the neighboring airport of a house - from where small planes come from.

This moment can be considered the starting point of the expedition. All definitions end. No one ever says accurate information. Everything can happen in five minutes, or after two hours, or every other day.
And you can't do anything, nothing depends on you.
Nothing teaches so patience and humility as the road to the kiss.

Three hours of waiting, and we put forward towards the aircraft.
And here they are the first real Papuans, awaiting departure to their villages.

They really do not like that they are photographing. And in general, the arrival of the crowd of strangers does not cause them any positive emotions.
Well, okay, we are not up to them yet. Our business is more.
First weigh our luggage, and then all of us with manual loop. Yes, yes, this is not a joke. In a small plane, weight goes to kilograms, so the weight of each passenger is carefully fixed.

On the way back when weighing the living weight of the participants of the event decreased significantly. Yes, and the weight of baggage too.

Weighed, baggage passed. And wait again. This time in the best airport hotel - Papua Holiday. At least nowhere else is so sweet sleep as there.

The "time to land" team pulls us out of sweet dreams.
Here are our blonde birds, ready to attribute Papuarasia into the magical country.

Half an hour of flight, and we find yourself in another world. Here everything is unusual, and somehow extremely.
Starting from the super short runway.

And ending with suddenly swashed papuats.

We were already waiting.
Banda Indonesian-motorcyclists. They had to take us to the last village.
And Papuans. Very much papuars. Which were to decide whether to let us at all before this village.
They quickly picked up our bags, drag off aside and took up debates.

Women sat down separately. Closer to us. Laugh, chat. Even pray a little.

Men in the distance took up serious affairs.

Well, finally I reached the morals and customs of Papuans.

Patriarchate reigns in Patriacia.
Here is a polygamy. Almost every man has two or three wives. Wives - five to six or seven children.
Next time I will show a Papuan village, at home and how they all live there with such a big cheerful crowd

So here. Let's go back to families.
Men are engaged in hunting, home protection and solving important issues.
All the rest are engaged in women.

Hunting happens not every day. The house to defend is also not particularly from anyone.
Therefore, the usual day of the man goes like this: waking up, he drinks a cup of tea or coffee or cocava and goes around the village to see what is new. The dinner returns home. Lunch. Continues his walks around the village, communicating with the neighbors. In the evening dinner. Then, judging by the number of children in the villages, deigning demographic problems, and goes to bed in order to continue their heavy weekdays in the morning.

A woman wakes up early in the morning. Prepare tea, coffee and other breakfast. And then he is engaged in the house, children, vegetable garden and other nonsense. All day from morning to evening.

All this told me the Indonesian guys in response to my question: why men are practically nothing, and women drag heavy bags.
Men are simply not adapted for severe daily work. As in a joke: War will come, and I'm tired ...

So. Our Papuans took up the discussion, let us go through the sigak or not. If you start, on what conditions.
Actually the whole thing in conditions.

Time went, the negotiations were delayed.

Everything was ready to go to the expedition. Boots, umbrellas, weapons and other need.

A couple of hours passed in conversations.
And suddenly a new team: on motorcycles! Hooray, the first stage passed!

Do you think it's all? Not. This is only the beginning.
We are sent to the path of elders of the village, two military, two policemen, sympathizing Papuans.

Why so much?
To address emerging issues.
Questions arose literally immediately.

As I wrote, somewhere from the seventies, the Indonesian government paid money to Papuas. Just. All you needed to do - once a month come to the bank, to defend the turn and get a bunch of money.
Then he stopped the money. But the feeling that money should be just so left.

The way to receive money was found quite quickly. Literally with the arrival of the first tourists.
So there was a favorite entertainment of Papuans - genus blocks.

In the middle of the road put the wand. And it is impossible to pass through it.

What will happen if you cross the stick?
According to Indonesian guys, they can throw the stones, they can still, in general, please do not.
It causes bewilderment. Well, do not kill the same ...
Why not?
Human life is worth nothing. Formally, Indonesian laws operate on the territory of Papua. In fact, the advantage of the laws are local.
On them, if you killed a man, enough in agreement with the relatives of the murdered to pay a small penalty.
There is a suspicion that for the murder of a white stranger not only the penalty will not take, they will also result in gratitude.

The same papuats are hot-tempered. Quickly depart, but at the first moment in anger is not greatly controlled.
We saw how they were chasing their wives with their machete.
The hands-preposition of them in the order of things. At the end of the journey of his wife, the departed in the path with her husbands went frosted by bruises.

So, there will be stones to throw or out of the bow in the back will shit - no one wanted to experiment.
Therefore, each stick laid on earth began negotiations.

At first it looks like a theatrical action.
Riddenly discharged people in shorts and shirts, decorated with colored plastic beads and feathers stand in the middle of the road and begin to utter a fiery speech.

Speeches pronounce exclusively men.
Speakers one. They say dusty, ringing. In the most dramatic moments of throwing headers about the Earth.
Women sometimes come into a crossbow. But somehow always choir, creating a unthinkable guzzle.

The discussion is flared up, it subsides.
Negotiators stop performing and diverge in different directions, sit, think.

If you translate the dialog to Russian, it would look like this:
- We do not let these white people through our village
- You must miss these lovely people, are already paid elders of other tribes.
- Well, but let them pay us, and take our women porters
- Of course they will pay you. And about the porters we solve the crust.
- agreed. Let us give five million
- yes you are ofigel

And then the bargaining begins ... And the caps are flying again and women vote.

The guys who see it all for the first time, quietly fie. And absolutely sincerely say: "And you definitely did not pay for this performance?"
It hurts not really it looks like this.

And most importantly, the locals especially the guys perceive it all as the theater show.
Sit, stress.

It takes half an hour, an hour, in the hard case - two hours. Negotiators reach the generally accepted amount per million Indonesian Tugs. The stick is postponed and our cavalcade rushes further.

The first time it is even fun. The second is still interesting.
The third, fourth - and now all this starts straining a little.

From Sugaps to Suangama - the ultimate goal of our trip is 20 kilometers. For our overcoming, we have left more than seven hours.
There were six Road blocks.

Overweight All already wet in the rain. It began to darken and became frankly cold.
And here from my valiant team began to come increasingly persistent suggestions to go to consumer money relations and pay for already papuas money, how much they want us to have missed only.

And I tried to explain that everything. These most inventive cash relations do not work.
All laws ended somewhere in the Timika area.
You can pay once. But the next time (and we will return to return) they will ask you to pay much more. And there will be no six but sixteen blocks.
Such is the logic of Papuans.

Somewhere at the beginning of the trip, I was inevitably asked: "Well, they hired to work for us, they must fulfill obligations." And from these words I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Papuans have no concept of "obligations". Today is one mood, tomorrow is another ... and in general, with the concept of morality in Papuans somehow stress. That is, it is missing completely.

We overcame the last block already in the dark.
The protracted negotiations began to strain not only us. Motorcyclists actively began to hint that they needed to return to the sigaku. With us or without us.

As a result, in the dark on the mountain road in the rain on the motorcycles without headlamp we got to the last village before the jungle - Suangami.
The next day, another show called "Porters are hired to an expedition." And how it happens, why this cannot be avoided and how it all ends, I will tell next time.

Each people have their own cultural features, historically established customs and national traditions, some or even many of whom do not understand the representatives of other nations.

We present to your attention the shocking facts about the customs and traditions of Papuans, who, to put it mildly, will understand not everyone.

Papuats mummify their leaders

Papuars in their own way demonstrate respect for dead leaders. They do not bury them, but keep them in the huts. The age of some creepy, distorted mummies reaches 200-300 years.

In some Papuass tribes, the custom of human body dismemberment has been preserved

Behind the largest Papuassine tribe of the East of New Guinea, Huli fastened bad fame. In the past they were known as hunters for heads and darkers of human meat. Now it is believed that nothing like this happens. However, individual evidence points to the fact that the dismemberment of a person from time to time occurs during magical rituals.

Many men in New Guinea tribes wear piggy

Papuats living in the highland regions of New Guinea are wearing kotheki - cases worn on their men's advantages. Kopets are made of local varieties of pumpkin Calebas. They replace Papuas panties.

Losing relatives, women cut off their fingers

The female part of the Papuan tribe Dani often walked without the phalange of the fingers. They themselves cut off them when they lured close relatives. Today in the villages you can still see the branded old women.

Papuans feed not only children, but also the animal young

Mandatory redemption for the bride is measured in pigs. At the same time, the family of the bride is obliged to take care of these animals. Women even feed piglets with their breasts. However, other animals feed them with breast milk.

Almost all women are fulfilled in the tribe

In Papuass tribes, women perform all the main work. Very often you can see the picture when Papuans, being in the last months of pregnancy, cut firewood, and their husbands are resting in the huts.

Some Papuans live in houses on trees

Another tribe of Papuars Cows will be surprised by their place of residence. They build their homes right on the trees. Sometimes to get to such a home, you need to boil to a height from 15 to 50 meters. Favorite delicacy Cowads - insect larvae.

From the deck "Dmitry Mendeleev" is visible to the New Guinea coast - the shore of Maclay. The team sounds: "The detachment of ethnographers will prepare for landing!"

Closer palm trees that approached a narrow beach strip. Behind them is hidden village Bongu. The rustling of coral sand under the bottom of the boat is heard. We jump ashore and find ourselves in the middle of the crowd of dark-skinned people. They are notified of our arrival, but keep wary. We feel learning, even gloomy sometimes looks. - Tamo Bongu, Kaye! (People Bongu, Hello!) - I exclaims a member of our expedition N. A. Butinov. How many times did he pronounced these words in the cabin, recorded by Miklukho Maclary a hundred years ago. Faces of Papuans express obvious bewilderment. There is still silence. Did the language changed here? However, Boutinov is not so easy to confuse:

- About Tamo, Kaye! Hectares of High Suma! (About people, hello! We are with you, brothers!) - He continues.

Suddenly, Papuans are transformed; They buried, shouted: "Kaye! Kaye! " And under the approving cries led us to the hut for visitors.

Between huts - coconut palms. Only above the main square is spacious, purely sweened - the crown palm does not close the sky.

Together with the young men named Kokal, we approach a small hut. Kokal Local. He is twenty years old. He graduated from elementary school in Bonga and entered the college in the town of Madang, but in a year he returned home: his father could not pay for training. From the first day, this intended guy became an energetic assistant ethnographic detachment. So now he introduces me with Papuas Daguan. Hot day. Dagown is sitting on the terrace of his house, enjoying the shadow. To shake his hand, we have to go up - the roof of the leaf of coconut palm hangs up so low.

Dagauna is forty - forty five. He is dressed as many Men Bongu, shorts and shirt. On the face of the tattoo - designated by the Sizem dotted of an arc under the left eye and above the eyebrow. The hair is triggered shortly. Magnificent hairstyles with crests and curls, familiar to us in the drawings of Miklukho-Maclay, went into the past, but behind the ear burns ruby \u200b\u200bred flower. Until now, men of all ages love to wear flowers in her hair, leaves of plants, bird feathers. The hut stopped, eye on us, a boy of seven in a cloth around the hips; Over his tremene, a white cock feather sticks zerny. Dagaun's hand over the biceps throws a bracelet woven. This is an old decoration, drawn by Maklai, still worn and men and women. Kokal interprets something to Dagaun, and he looks at me with curiosity, it can be seen without quite understanding what I need.

"He agrees," Kokal says to me.

Here I have to upset the reader, if he expects that after these words, the ethnographer will start asking Papuans about something unusually mysterious and exotic, well, let's say about the secrets of witchcraft, and as a result of the conversation, thanks to the personal charm or successful coincidence, Papuars will tell everything, The ethnographer will lead to a secret cave and show an ancient rite ... All this, of course, happens, but we, ethnographers, are not engaged only by hunting for exotic. We study not separate bright features of the people's life, but the culture of the people as a whole, that is, everything that people live - both the farm, and beliefs, and food, and clothes. Here, in Bongu, our squad should have traced changes in the culture of Papuans in a hundred years, proceeding from the times of N. N. Miklukho-Maclay. In short, we were to find out how different from the techniques and hunting techniques described by them, the tongue, songs and dancing, hairstyles and decorations, homemade utensils, life and habits, and so on, and so on ...

And I came to Dagaun with a very prosaic purpose - described in detail his hut.

N. N. Miklukho-Maclay, looking at modern houses, would not know Bongu. In his time there were earthen floors in the huts, and now they are standing on stilts. It became a slightly different form of roofs. An important detail of the old life of Papuans has disappeared from the huts - Nara for food and spongas. These Nara were needed in the old house, now the need for them disappeared, they replaced them from the split bamboo stems, which rises a meter on a half above the ground. We notice it right away at first sight. And how many new items went into life? Only a strict register of all things will correctly reflect the ratio of new and old.

Kokal left, and the role of translators willingly assumed two boys for ten years old, dressed in clean shorts and cowboys. In schools, training is conducted in English, and many young people Bongu have put well in this language. As far as it is easier for us to work, than N. N. Miklukho-Maklau, who had to independently know the local dialect, sometimes trying to understand the meaning of the word! In addition, in Bonga, as in many areas of New Guinea, the second native language of Papuans became Pondean-Inglish - an English adapted to melanezian grammar. From the point of view of British, this is a barbaric distortion of English, seasoned with an admixture of Papua Russian words, nevertheless, the pidden is widely in the course and on other islands of Melanesia, and extensive literature has already arisen. In Bongu, women and children know in Bongu-Inglis. Men prefer to speak on it when it comes to important things about the abstract items. "This is our big language," explained to me the role of Pondan-Inglish one of Papuans. Why big? Because the local dialect of this village is really very "small" language: they speak only to Bonga; In each of the surrounding villages, their adverbs, unlike each other.

Papuan House reliably protects the inner life of the family from an extraneous gaze: partitions attached to a deaf wall of bamboo split stems form rooms. There are two small rooms in Dagaun's hut. "I live in one, in another woman," Dagown explained. There are no windows in the owner's room, but the light penetrates through the numerous cracks between the bamboo trunks, and the whole modest decor is clearly visible. To the right of the door at the wall lies an iron ax in the neighborhood with a neatly closed empty tin can. There is a black wooden pendant with a metal lid and a flat bowler. The angle fill out several wooden dishes and two wicker baskets. Directly against the door on the wall there are two small drums, and for the beam, a roof, the roof is plugged, two more axes, a large, like a saber, an iron knife and saw. On the bedside table stands a glass glass with scissors and empty jars from the cream ...

I will not tire the reader description. Nothing exotic was also in the women's room. Nor skulls, gloomy-eyed empty glasses, nor brightly painted masks. Everything looked everyday, in business. Nevertheless, exploring the situation of a poorly papauzky house, I got carried away: things helped learn something new about Papuan Starne.

For example, a bench with an iron strip at one end is an innovation in the Papuan house. It changed the pointed sink - an old primitive tool for extracting coconut pulp. I have repeatedly seen how this bench is used. A woman sitting on her holds with both hands half of the chopped nut and rubs his pulp about the serial edge of the stationary iron scraper; Downstairs is substituted at the bottom. Conveniently! It is difficult to say who invented this ingenious adaptation, but caused to life it is another innovation - furniture, which gradually spreads to Papuass villages. A hundred years ago, Papuars sat on the horses or right on the ground, pushing his legs. Now they prefer to sit like Europeans, on the elevation, be it stool, chubban or bench. And to establish itself in everyday a new tool could only when you used to sit on the bench. That is why it meets on other islands of Melanesia (and, let's say, in Polynesia, where the islanders are still sitting "in Turkish", this scraper does not meet).

In each Papuan House, you can see the iron sheet, thanks to which the fire on a thin bamboo floor can be disgraced. Judging by the form of these iron sheets, they are most likely made from barrels for gasoline.

Such acquisitions of Papuan life, of course, look illegal against the background of the standards of the modern industry, but they help to understand the features of the cultural transformation process on the shore map. Updating the local culture in a contact with modern civilization, firstly, was quite scanty, secondly, it was not reduced only to one direct borrowing. Papuars also adapted new materials or made at all for other needs things to old habits, to their lifestyle. So, when contacting with European civilization, the independent development of traditional culture did not cease. Some cultural skills Papuans admirated, apparently, and not from Europeans: the pile houses that were not before in Bongu, in the past century already met on the island Bili-beat. And the male loaf of Papuans, like a skirt, clearly copies the Polynesian Lava Lava.

The objects of the factory production that appeared in the houses of the inhabitants of Bonga themselves for ethnographer are not interesting for themselves, but for them there is a more important innovation in the life of Papuans - money: after all, it is necessary to pay money and for clay pots that are still brought from the village of Bil- Bil (now she is on the coast, and not on the island Bili-beat). Money pays for wooden dishes - Tabira. Papuats know well what money is. Hearing (and slightly surprised) that the USSR does not go Australian dollars, Papuats asked to show them the Soviet money. The money was decomposed on a log, thrown into the sandy shore; Everyone came to the log and carefully looked at them.

Bongu is a poor village. There is no single bike here. Papuars are acquired, as a rule, things are essentially - metal guns, fabrics, clothes, kerosene lamps and pocket electric lights. Objects that in local conditions look luxury (wrist watch, transistor), very little. Nevertheless, among the huts of Bong, there are already three shops that contain the Papuans themselves. Where do Papuans take money and for paying tax, and for training fees, and to buy the right things in local lavs?

Behind the village, on the very edge of the forest, the road leading to the neighboring village, we stop at a dense high.

- Here is our garden. Taro and Yams grow here, "says Kokal.

The forest breathes unusual smells of tropical plants and flowers, echoes twitter unfamiliar birds.

"We have no barns," explains Kokal. - All here, in the garden. Every day, women dig so many tubers as they need, and bring home.

I remember that the female room of Dagaun is arranged by flats - for storing provisions, as I was explained, - but they were completely empty.

"We do not plant all the time on the same plot," Kokal continues. - After three years, the garden is broken in another place. We are also going to clear a new site in August.

Two months of work - and the garden is ready.

Just as a hundred years ago ... But on the other side of the road, as if abroad, dividing two worlds, a new branch of a rustic economy is gained at the extensive meadow, a new branch of a rustic economy is gained: among juicy herbs, the foot of the hill graze cows. This is familiar to the Russian Eye Pattern of Alien Ancient Traditions of Shore Maclay. For the first time here brought a cow and a bull of Miklukho-Maclay.

Papuats remember the stories about the appearance of the first animals in the village, whom their grandfathers accepted "big pigs with teeth on the head" and wanted to immediately kill and eat; When the bull is hacked, everyone rushed out.

But the attempt of Miklukho-Maclay failed, and the cows were delivered here recently, on the initiative of the Australian administration interested in the supply of meat to the center of the County, Port Madang. Although the herd belongs to Papuans, they sell all meat in Madang and even a cow's milk do not drink - no habit.

Another source of money is the flesh of coconut. Its dried and sell to buyers in Madang. For the sake of the preservation of coconut palms, the inhabitants of Bonga voluntarily abandoned household pigs, because the voracious pigs spoil the young shoots of coconuts. Before, there were a lot of pigs (according to the descriptions of Miklukho-Maclay, they ran for women on the village, like dogs). And now I saw only one piglery sitting under the hut in the cage. So innovations in the economy partially modified the traditional household of Papuans.

But the main classes remained the same as before, - farming, hunting, fisheries. Fish is caught by the usual grandfathers: the network, the stort, tops. Humming still with spears and arrows, with dogs. True, the old man starts to retreat, have already bought several rifles. But as recently it happened - only three or four years ago! And in agriculture almost without change. Is that iron hoe appeared.

- And anywhere you can smash the garden? - We ask Cocala. For us, ethnographers, this question is very important.

And here we hear what Miklukho-Maclay did not know. The whole earth around the village is divided between the clans, of which the population of Bongu. On the land of the clan, in turn, sections for families are allocated, and the owners can arrange a vegetable garden only on their own plot.

- The same piece of land is fixed for the family forever?

- Yes. From my grandfather, I heard that in his time there were some redels of the plots inside the clan, but it was a long time ago. And when the clan Gumba moved to Bong, throwing his village Gumba, he did not receive land at all in a new place, his gardens remained in former places.

Returning to the village, we came across in the thickets on two girls in bright dresses, which Iron Tesarats were cut into a dry tree on firewood (here everything is in Miklukho-Maklai: the man did not bother themselves and in its times).

- It is possible to prepare the firewood only on your site or far in the forest, "said Kokal.

There is not a single tree around the village that would not belong to anyone, and, raising the coconut from the ground, you encourage someone else's property.

It would seem that with the advent of money an ancient collective form of ownership should disappear. But in life does not always happen to what should be in theory. Here is an example: a flock of cows, bringing dollars, belongs to the whole village! Village owns a large plot planted with coconut palm trees. Rustic gathering decides how to dispose of the meat or copper money. However, a person who hires to work on a plantation to Australians remains a full-fledged owner of his earnings.

The arrival of Dmitry Mendeleev served as a reason for the general rehearsal to the big festival. Ten days later in Bongue, guests from all villages of the county should be in a crowded celebration. And although the holiday was going to spend, in general, as they were taken in these places, he was unusual according to the plan. Papuats were preparing to celebrate the anniversary Miklukho-Maclay! (As we were told, the idea was filed by a teacher, and the population of the shore Maclay hotly supported her.) Unfortunately, we could not stay for the holiday: the ship belongs to oceanologists, and their work required to continue the flight. And then Papuars agreed to show us those performances that they ran for anniversary days.

At first, the pantomime was performed - the first appearance of the Maclay in the village. Three Papuas were aiming from the onions in a person who climbed the trail from the coast to the village. Warriors were dressed in ancient loose bandages from the Luba, bright bird feathers cried over intricate heads. Maclary, on the contrary, was purely contemporary: shorts, gray shirt. What to do, our captain M. V. Sobolevsky could not assume in advance that he would be asked to participate in the Papuan mantomime ... The warriors did not want to allow the Maclay to the village. The arrows trembled threateningly on tight tight assets. A moment - and a stranger will die. But the audience smiles. It was seen that the Armed Warriors themselves are afraid of a man who calmly coming towards meets. They stir, stumble, fall, fascinating each other to Earth ... And a hundred years ago, it was not a game at all.

Showed us and vintage dances. Vintage? And yes, there is no: besides them, in Bongu, there is nothing else to dance anything else. The decoration of the dancers has not changed - the same dark orange lubyanny bandage on the hips, the same decorations. The past is still very close and expensive in the residents of Bongu. Papuars will not only remember the dance outfits of grandfathers and great-grandfather (it was not difficult to check the pictures of Miklukho-Maclay), but also admire them. The most original form among the Papuassic decorations is reminiscent of the dumbbell. The dumbbell from the shell hangs on the chest, but during the dance it is usually kept by teeth - so require ancient canons of beauty. Bird feathers and stems of some grass flour over the heads of dancers. Whole bouquets made of plants and colors are stunned for the loopholeted bandage, thanks to which the dancer is pleasant for the review from all sides. The dancers themselves sing and knock on the drums, performing, so to speak, duties and choir, and orchestra.

A man and women are smoked in Bongu. Soviet cigarettes had a great success in Papuans. And suddenly, the head of our detachment D. D. Tumarkin found that our stock is boosted. The boat has just moved, leaving those invited to the head of the dancer expedition and respected village people. So, in the coming hours of communication with Dmitry Mendeleev will not be ...

- Split for cigarettes on Papuan Canoeing? - I suggested. - All the same you need to get acquainted with the local boat.

Tumarkin protested:

- And if the canoe will turn over? Here sharks! - But soon I gave up, not confident, however, what is going correctly.

Papuan Canoeing Long lie on the shore. They are in the village of twenty pieces. No boat has no boat, and he went for the permission to take the canoe from his uncle, local pastor. Soon he returned with the paddle, we demolished the boat to the water and despair from the coast, a narrow boat was pulled out of a solid wood trunk. Attached to it at a distance near the meter, a thick pole balance gives a boat stability. Above the boat, a wide platform is stretched over the boat, to which Kokal and seated us two and his buddy.

All Canoeing Papuans Bongu is arranged through an ancient pattern. But a few years ago there was a giant jump through the epochs: the primitive water transport of the community was enriched by the vessel of the twentieth century. Several coastal villages, Bongu, including, have acquired a boat together and began to contain Papuas Motorist; At this boat, you will take a copp in Madang.

We moored canoe to Dmitry Mendeleev. Kokal never visited such a large ship. But suddenly it turned out that he would hardly be seen on the Soviet ship above all his fellow villagers. The most with whom can communicate every day. Everything else is a ship, computers, radars, etc. - interests it much less. We rose to the conference room. Here at the table with the treats chinno sat dancers and the most respected people of the village. Decorations made of shells, kabani fangs, flowers and bird feathers somewhat incredibly looked at the background of glazed shelves with a large Soviet encyclopedia. Kokal, however, did not dream at all to join Elite Bongu. No, he wanted only to be noticed. It is conveniently rented on a leather sofa opposite the conference room opened, with an independent view, looking around the sides, as if it was used to spend Sunday leisure. He calculated unmistakably. He was seen, and on the faces of the respected people, an amazement was expressed. The head of the village council, Kam, even went to the corridor and asked something: apparently, as Cocal was found on the ship. Kokal casually showed on us and again fell apart on the sofa.

I do not know how much time he could sit so much. We have already become cigarettes, and the Kokal did not want to leave. It was possible to lead it only after he was represented by the Head of the Expedition and exchanged his handshake with him.

This minor episode pointed to us on the first cracks in the former social structure of the village. A hundred years ago, the young man would not dare to appear among the elders without permission. Ah these new times ... People begin to find a support for their self-assertion outside the usual standards of rustic life. For some this support - money earned on the side. Other, such as the Kokalu, the courage to equalize themselves with the elders gives education. Nevertheless, the excitement, with what Kokal demonstrated himself with influential one-sieves, speaks of the strength of the former relationship in the Papuan village.

The traditional social organization Bongu primitive - Papuans had no clearly designed collective authorities or the leader.

Now some new features have been added to the former public device. Bongu, for example, is managed by the Rustic Council. His members are the elder clans. Apparently, the creation of the Council only issued an ancient tradition. But our familiar kama does not belong to the number of elders. Just the Australian authorities saw in him an energetic and intelligent person, with whom you can find a common language. Kamu presents his village in the district "local government council" created in the early 60s, and thus carries out the contact of the administration with the community.

In a short time, our detachment - eight ethnographers - managed to learn a lot about the life and traditions of Papuans Bongu. One hundred years ago on the shore of the Maclay reigned the stone age. What did we see now? Eyelid age, early class era? To evaluate the modern culture of Papuans Bongu is not easy. The appearance of this village has become different. There are many innovations - alone rushing into the eyes, others become apparent only after long asked. Papuans speak English and Pondan-inglis, use guns and kerosene lamps, read the Bible, have knowledge, hoped from Australian textbooks, buy and sell for dollars. But old one is still alive. What prevails?

Again arise before the eyes of the paintings seen in Bongu. Twilight descend. Past of huts with a tired gait walks half-lit woman in a short skirt. It returns from the garden and carries the Tarot tubers, Yams and bananas in a wicker bag, strengthened straps on the forehead. Such bags were both N. N. Miklukho-Maklaie. Another woman cleans from the top fibrous layer of coconut with a stick strengthened in the ground by a pointed end. At the site, the house burns the bonfire, in the clay pot, as well as a hundred years ago, is cooked cut on the slice of Tarot ... innovations in Bonga, as it were, be on the usual lifeguare of the village, without changing it substantially. Reforms in the farm are admitted only for the sake of interchange with the outside world and touched a lot. Life remains old: the same routine of the day, the same distribution of functions. Among the things surrounding Papuas, there are quite new, but these items enter the village ready and do not generate new classes. In addition, life in Bonga does not depend on imports. The village comes into contact with the outside world, but has not yet become his appendat. If suddenly, for any reason, the bongue connection with modern civilization was interrupted, the small community would not have experienced shocks and easily returned to the lifestyle of the ancestors, for she moved away from him. There is nothing surprising in this: the colonial administration was not in a hurry to make Papuans with modern people. Yes, and the separated position of Bongu strongly fencing the village from external influences. Although Bongu is all kilometers in twenty-five from Madang, because of the baked swamps there is no road. Stable communication is possible only on water. Tourists in Bonga do not look ...

As for what stage of the development of Papuans Bonga today, the ethnographers, there are still a lot of work to find a term, which would mark their peculiar culture that combined the legacy of the primitiveness and some of the governments of the twentieth century.

V. Basilov, Candidate of Historical Sciences