Dinka Tuich jar
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.135
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Pottery
Process:
Handbuilt , Fire-Hardened , Decorated , Impressed , Burnished
Dimensions:
Ht = 258, rim diam = 107, max W = 264 mm [RTS 3/12/2004].
Weight:
2750 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) (then at the Museum of Mankind) between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton [RTS 14/6/2004].
Field Collector:
Brian John Mack (known as John Mack), Museum of Mankind
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
17 - 26 February 1979
Description:
Pottery jar hand made from a moderately well levigated clay, fired reddish brown (Pantone 7526C) with some mottled patches of black across the outer surfaces.
This has an upright, irregularly circular rim with convex lip sloping down to the mouth inside, and a narrow flat edge that slopes down on the exterior.
This edge and the surface immediately below have been roughened using a roulette to impress a series of oblique marks, creating a textured collar to the outer lip.
There is a short neck below with concave sides flaring out slightly to join a globular body with convex sides and base.
The shoulder area has been decorated using the same tool to impress a series of bands, each composed of short parallel oblique lines.
This tool may have been something like a piece of grass rope or plaiting.
The design is composed of groups of 3 horizontal bands acting as frames just below the neck, and just above the maximum width of the vessel, with a series of vertical bands arranged in groups between.
These vertical groups consist of between 8 and 14 lines each; the lines are not regularly spaced and sometimes merge with one another.
The exterior walls and interior rim have been well burnished, to contrast with the matt, roughened areas of decoration.
The underside is not burnished, although it is not clear if this is due to surface wear rather than an omission during manufacture.
The jar is complete and intact; there is a patch of black material accreted to one side.
John Mack described it as 'fresh', implying that it may not have been used.
It has a height of 258 mm, a rim diameter of 107 mm, a maximum width of 264 mm and a weight of 2750 grams.
Collected by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) at Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton. At the time this object was collected, the Bahr el Ghazal province was bordered by the Upper Nile Province to the east and Western Equatoria to the south; this area is now divided into the districts of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and parts of Warab and El Buheyrat. Dhangrial, Wun Rog and Mayen lie within 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.
Rachael Sparks 3/8/2005.
Collected by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) at Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton. At the time this object was collected, the Bahr el Ghazal province was bordered by the Upper Nile Province to the east and Western Equatoria to the south; this area is now divided into the districts of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and parts of Warab and El Buheyrat. Dhangrial, Wun Rog and Mayen lie within 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.
Rachael Sparks 3/8/2005.
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] 1979.20.135 Red ware pot with horizontal roulette decoration in bands around rim, shoulder, upper body and vertically from shoulder to upper body.
H = ca.
25 cm.
Diam.
at rim = 10.8 cm.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-15.
Card Catalogue Entry - The card repeats the accession book entry, but adds that this was collected by John Mack in 1979, and that it has no Langton collection number [RTS 5/4/2004].
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 black and white photograph of this object, marked on back: 'number illegible. Red ware; horizontal roulette decoration in bands around rim, around shoulder, around upper body. Looks like a fresh Dinka pot', then in red 'Dinka' with museum stamp, and number 'A5 F22-1'. This had been annotated [236], but that number refers to 1979.20.98; further annotation added: 'wrong! = 1979.20.135, RTS 3/8/2005' and 1979.20.135, No Langton no.'. The file also contains a letter from John Mack (Museum of Mankind) to Lynn Williamson (PRM), dated 1st July 1980, regarding discrepancies in the division of the Langton material; this states that he had 'written on the back of your photographs where in each case the pots appear to come from. I think it is accurate.' This is probably the marking done in red pen; the biro matches Lynn Williamson's handwriting on some accompanying notes, which repeats the description of the object given on the photograph [RTS 3/8/2005].
Written on object - S. SUDAN DINKA P. Langton coll. 1979.20.15 [RTS 3/12/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-15.
Card Catalogue Entry - The card repeats the accession book entry, but adds that this was collected by John Mack in 1979, and that it has no Langton collection number [RTS 5/4/2004].
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 black and white photograph of this object, marked on back: 'number illegible. Red ware; horizontal roulette decoration in bands around rim, around shoulder, around upper body. Looks like a fresh Dinka pot', then in red 'Dinka' with museum stamp, and number 'A5 F22-1'. This had been annotated [236], but that number refers to 1979.20.98; further annotation added: 'wrong! = 1979.20.135, RTS 3/8/2005' and 1979.20.135, No Langton no.'. The file also contains a letter from John Mack (Museum of Mankind) to Lynn Williamson (PRM), dated 1st July 1980, regarding discrepancies in the division of the Langton material; this states that he had 'written on the back of your photographs where in each case the pots appear to come from. I think it is accurate.' This is probably the marking done in red pen; the biro matches Lynn Williamson's handwriting on some accompanying notes, which repeats the description of the object given on the photograph [RTS 3/8/2005].
Written on object - S. SUDAN DINKA P. Langton coll. 1979.20.15 [RTS 3/12/2004].
