Kilt terms in anthropology

[beloitpiper]

As some of you are aware, I am an anthropology student. It is common to use words like "clan" for tribe or "kilt" for skirts worn by men in anthropology, but the other day we were studying the Sambia people of New Guinea. The word "sporran" came up to describe what the men wore. How awesome is that?!? There was a photo, and it did indeed look like a sporran. Kinda like a piper's horse hair sporran without tassels and made out of straw/grass. I just thought that was kinda cool.

The anthropologist who we were reading (can't remember his name now) was British, so he must've had previous kilt experience, but all of the American students in the class had no clue what a sporran was. I stood up, pointed to my own sporran, and said "this". My prof. laughed.

[Bugbear]

It wasn't a gourd was it...?

That's pretty cool. I wonder how many other cultures have sporran-like pouches and so on.

[Panache]

Greg,

Isn't "SKIRT BOY!" an anthropological term?




Cheers

Jamie

[george7]

Any tribes in New Guinea wearing trousers?

[auld argonian]

African-American fella at one of the Walgreens downtown has a fantastic sporran-like thingie. Hangs around the neck and is make of leather carved to look like a West African figure...it's actually two pieces and you just slide the top up on the leather thongs that it hangs on and there's the inside and your stuff. Very cool. I always intend to stop in and ask him if I can get a photo of him with the "Afro-Sporran" to share with the group.

Best

AA

[beloitpiper]

It wasn't a gourd was it...?

That's pretty cool. I wonder how many other cultures have sporran-like pouches and so on.

Actaully, they weren't pouches, just hanging straw used for decoration...just like military sporrans

Any tribes in New Guinea wearing trousers?

Now there are! But originally, most of the went nude most of the time. Only in rituals or important functions would they dress up and decorate themselves.

[Sionnach]

There weren't like any shrunken heads attached were there?

[Highlander31]

They have recently found mummies in the Chinese desert who were clothed in tartan. If I remember correctly they were dated as approximately 3000 years old. The scientist who tested the tartan stated it appeared to be as worn as her 3 year old bathrobe. I believe the Celtic traders may have been the instrument for the spreading of ideas and philosophy between the East and the West (this is based on research I did years ago.)

[morrison]

Aint nothin so cool as "Show n tell."