Dinka Tuich amulet
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.130
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Turtleshell Reptile
Dimensions:
L = 116.5, W = 87.2 mm, Th = 35.5 mm [RTS 25/8/2004].
Weight:
38.1 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan [RTS 1/6/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
17 - 26 February 1979
Description:
Apparently unmodified turtle shell, used as a protective device.
This has a body that is oval in plan view, with a convex back broken by a slightly raised ridge running down its length.
The underside is roughly flat, while the interior of the shell is hollow with some internal bone structure preserved, including the vertebrae.
The upper surface is a dark brown colour (Pantone 440C), and the underside a mottled reddish brown (Pantone 483C) and yellow (Pantone 7508C).
The shell is complete and intact.
It has a weight of 38.1 grams, is 116.5 mm long, 87.2 mm wide, and 35.5 mm thick.
Collected by Patti Langton sometime between 17th and 26th February 1979, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
This object was described by Langton as a 'magic spell'; it was hung inside a cattle byre as a protective device.
Rachael Sparks 15/9/2005.
Collected by Patti Langton sometime between 17th and 26th February 1979, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
This object was described by Langton as a 'magic spell'; it was hung inside a cattle byre as a protective device.
Rachael Sparks 15/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
185] - 1979.20 (.1 - 206) P[urchase] MISS PATTI LANGTON, DEPT.
of ETHNOLOGY & PREHISTORY, OXFORD.
Collection made by Patti Langton during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan; Jan.
- April 1979.
The collection was made in three culture areas during the dry season.
The amount paid for each object is listed if the information is known.
In Jan.
1979 £1 is equivalent to 95 piastres (pt.) Sudanese.
This documentation is based largely upon Patti's own list of objects and her notes on these.
Sometimes objects included in the Pitt Rivers alottment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here.
See Related Documents file as well.
[p.
191] 1979.20.43-135 SOUTHERN SUDAN the DINKA TUICH.
The Dinka Tuich, a pastoral people, live to the north of Wau, in Bahr el Ghazal province.
This collection was made mostly at Dhangrial, the archaeological site at which we camped.
Other artifacts were collected either at Wun Rog, a small town about a mile south of Dhangrial, or at Mayen, the new administrative centre 12 miles north.
This was a remote area, difficult of access and rarely visited by outsiders.
The Dinka are very aware of the potential of money, which is used either to help family members acquire education or entry into commerce and administration in Juba or Khartoum.
Once it was known we (the collectors) were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p.
204] 1979.20.130 "Magic spell" - a turtle shell.
Hung inside a cattle byre - see letter in related documents file.
L = ca.
12 cm.
Not on list.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-22.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 19/2/2004].
Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry. There is also a letter from Lynn Williamson (PRM) to John Mack (Museum of Mankind), dated 25th June 1980, asking for identification of this object - 'Could a small tortoise shell be used as a magic spell? The shell does not appear on any list, but the packing list has a 'magic spell' from the Dinka'. Mack replied on 1st July 1980 - 'The tortoise shell is I am sure what is described as a 'magic spell'. It is hung inside a cattle byre as a protective device. There wasn't sufficient time to collect any information on the wider conceptual background to this. The notes I have, however, indicate that it is used as an amulet but it doesn't seem to have the verbal element that 'magic spell' implies. Perhaps Patti has some further information I don't know about' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - S. SUDAN, DINKA TUICH P. Langton coll. 1979.20.130 [RTS 25/8/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-22.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 19/2/2004].
Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry. There is also a letter from Lynn Williamson (PRM) to John Mack (Museum of Mankind), dated 25th June 1980, asking for identification of this object - 'Could a small tortoise shell be used as a magic spell? The shell does not appear on any list, but the packing list has a 'magic spell' from the Dinka'. Mack replied on 1st July 1980 - 'The tortoise shell is I am sure what is described as a 'magic spell'. It is hung inside a cattle byre as a protective device. There wasn't sufficient time to collect any information on the wider conceptual background to this. The notes I have, however, indicate that it is used as an amulet but it doesn't seem to have the verbal element that 'magic spell' implies. Perhaps Patti has some further information I don't know about' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - S. SUDAN, DINKA TUICH P. Langton coll. 1979.20.130 [RTS 25/8/2004].
