Southern Larim bow

1979.20.183

Sudan

[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Loryok

Southern Larim

By March 1979

Wood Plant , Plastic Synthetic , String

Carved , Polished , Twisted , Bound , Tied Strung , Recycled

L = 1821, shaft W = 25, th = 22; diam end shaft = 10; string diam = 2.7, strung L = 1635 mm [RTS 27/9/2005].

476.7 g

Collected by Jill Goudie from the base camp at Loryok for the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton, between 20th and 25th March 1979 [RTS 12/5/2004].

Jill Goudie

Patti Langton

Purchased 1979

20 - 25 March 1979

Bow made from a length of polished yellow wood (Pantone 7510C), with a flattish back and convex inner face, tapering to either end where the section becomes more rounded. There are a number of knots along the back of the wood, where subsidiary branches have been cut or burnt off. This has been strung so that the shaft forms a simple, shallow arc. The bow string has been made from strips of recycled plastic, twisted together to form a cord; this is a pale gray colour (Pantone 7535C). This has been bound several times around the lower end and tied with a row of slip knots around the inner face; the string extends up to the top of the bow and looped over the end using a similar slip knot. Immediately below this is a short section of binding made from the same type of cord, that acts as a stop to prevent the bow string slipping further down the bow shaft. The string has also been knotted part way along its length. It is currently tautly strung. The bow is complete, and apart from some fraying to the bow string, in good condition; there are some gray paint traces on the shaft. It has a weight of 476.7 grams and is 1821 mm long; the shaft is 25 mm wide and 22 mm thick at its centre, and has a diameter of 10 mm at the upper end; the string has a diameter of 2.7 mm and a strung length of 1635 mm.

Collected by Jill Goudie at Loryok sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979, for the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, directed by Patti Langton.

For a group of associated Larim arrows, see 1979.20.184-7.

Rachael Sparks 28/9/2005.

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 alootment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here. See Related Documents file as well. [p. 204] 1979.20.136 - 193 SOUTHERN SUDAN the LARIM The Larim live about 50 miles west of Kapoeta in the eastern corner of S. Sudan. They are a non-Nilotic pastoral people, living in permanent mountain villages. They are part of the Didinga-Longarim-Murle language group. They live in the Boya Hills - Boya is the Topasa (neighbouring group) name for the Larim, which is also used by the Administration. Longarim is the Didinga's name for them but they call themselves the Larim, and that is used here. [p. 205] The LARIM The collection was made in two parts. The "PL" labelled material was collected during Pat Langton's stay in a village in the Northern Larim area. The "∆" labelled material was collected by Jill Goudie, one of the archaeologists on the Expedition, from the base camp LARYOK, among the Southern Larim. Money is known among the Larim but it is used only for buying beads for women from Kapoeta, or for the few members of the group who would go to Juba. The women especially were more interested in exchange gifts of salt, cloth & soap. The Larim material is documented in three parts: a) General Larim pieces - no information as to which section of the Larim it comes from b) the "PL" Collection from the Northern Larim, from three of the eight Northern Larim clans c) the Southern Larim material collected by Jill Goudie, numbered "∆". [p. 210] 1979.20.163 - 193 SOUTHERN LARIM: Collected by Jill Goudie between 20.3 and 25.3.79 [p. 213] 1979.20.183 Wooden bow with twisted sinew string. Inside L = 1.83 M. Coll.no. ∆36; added to list later.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F36-16.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes or objects catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].

Pitt Rivers Museum label? - Bow + 4 Arrows, 36 [in triangle] [red biro on a strip of masking tape, originally bound round centre of bow, removed to Related Documents File; RTS 5/8/2005].

Pitt Rivers Museum label - S. SUDAN, SOUTHERN LARIM. Bow. P. Langton coll., 36 [in triangle]. 1979.20.183 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 27/9/2005].

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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Southern Larim. These were all collected between 20.3.79 and 25.3.79' - the collection number has been added in biro, with no further details of object given [RTS 12/1/2004].