Dinka Tuich sling

Other views of this artifact:

Accession Number:

1979.20.66

Country:

Sudan

Region:

[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen

Cultural Group:

Dinka Tuich

Maker:

Made by specialist men.

Date Made:

By 1979

Materials:

Grass Fibre Plant

Process:

Dried , Twisted , Woven , Knotted

Dimensions:

L = 960 mm, L loop = 15 mm, diam cords = 4 mm, W bands = 17 mm [RTS 16/8/2004].

Weight:

79.4 g

Local Name:

athiol

Other Owners:

Purchased by Patti Langton for 50 piastres on 17th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan [RTS 15/6/2004].

Field Collector:

Patti Langton

PRM Source:

Patti Langton

Acquired:

Purchased 1979

Collected Date:

17 February 1979

Description:

Sling made from strands of yellowish brown grass (Pantone 7508C), woven together at intervals to form a net bag which can be used to carry or hang gourds and other vessels. This consists of a cord that has been bent over to form a loop at the top, made from three thinner grass cords twisted together. At its base, the loop has been woven into a thick cylindrical section of tightly knotted strands, measuring 56 mm long, 18 mm wide and 16.5 mm thick. At the base of this section there is a circular ring where the cord has been wound vertically around a solid core of unidentified material, possibly further cord. This is 24.3 mm long, 22 mm wide and 8 mm high. This whole section, from the top of the loop to the base of the ring, serves as the carrying loop or handle for the sling. Below this the object divides into two parts, each of which is made up from triple twisted fibre strands continuing from the handle. First there is a narrow band, 100 mm long, made up of four vertical cords; at 9 regular intervals 1 of the 3 strands that make up each cord cuts at an angle across the body, passing in and out of the vertical strands as it goes and thus binding them together into a tight mesh, before being woven in with the cord on the opposite sides. As this cord runs across, part of each vertical cord is separated to pass over it, then woven into the adjacent vertical cord. After this band, the 4 individual cords separate again for a length of 250 mm, at which point each cord is joined to its neighbour in groups of 2, by the same process of splitting its constituent strands, crossing individual strands to the adjacent cord and twisting them into its body. These cross overs occur three times over a 35 mm stretch, with the cords separating out again below. This forms the top of a wide-meshed network bag, where each cord is similarly fastened together to its neighbour, first to the right, and then to the left, forming a bag with large lozenge-shaped gaps in the sides. Finally, all cords are joined into 4 pairs towards the base of the sling, before being woven together into a further narrow band using the technique described above. This band is folded across its centre to form the base of the object. An additional 2 ply grass cord has been tied onto the top of the sling; this has a simple knotted end, and its function is not clear. The sling is complete, but has minor fraying to the cords in places. It has a length of 960 mm; of this, the carrying loop is 15 mm long while the actual network bag part of the object is 550 mm long. Each triple stranded cord has a diameter of 4 mm, while their component strands are about 1 mm in diameter. The narrow bands have a width of 17 mm. The sling has a total weight of 79.4 grams.

Purchased by Patti Langton for 50 piastres on 17th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern 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.

The Dinka term for this type of object is athiol, defined by Nebel as ‘Athiol, net for carrying milk-gourds’ (Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 13). They are made by specialist men from a tall, thin grass called kolo, that is cut when green and then dried. These slings would be used to hang up pots or gourds inside a hut, or to carry gourds at cattle camps. For a similar Dinka sling, see 1934.8.18, collected at Fanamweir in the 1930's.

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 [insert] (the collectors) [end insert] were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p. 194] 1979.20.66 Pot hanger, athiol . Used for hanging pots or gourds in huts, or used at cattle camps for carrying gourds. Made by specialist men from the plant kolo , a tall, thin, grass cut when green, then dried. L = 96 cm.; coll. 17.2.79; 50 pt. Coll. no. 147.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-7.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card; however note that the plant name is given as koro , not kolo [RTS 6/4/2004].