Mussau

• Traditional Culture (1908)
  • Isolation
    Isolation

    Question	Response	Source
    Pre-Austronesian population	Present: Clear evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement	Bellwood 1995: 109
    Christian influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (No evidence of Christian influence on supernatural belief, but culture is known to have had (or is likely to have had) contact with Christian societies at or prior to the time focus in question.)	Nevermann 2010: 3-8, 170-177
    Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Hindu or Buddhist societies at or prior to to the time focus in question.)	Cribb 2000: 2.21
    (Low) contact with other societies (SCCS v 787)	Occasional but not often (e.g. once in a generation)	Nevermann 2010: 3-8, 143-144
    Islamic influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Islamic influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Islamic societies at or prior to the time focus in question.)	Cribb 2000: 2.23
    Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km)	78.9	Calculator 2014
    Distance to nearest continent (km)	1280	Calculator 2014

  • Physical Environment
    Location

    Question	Response	Source
    Longitude of culture’s location (°)	149.6	Parkinson 2010: 246; Nevermann 2010: 13
    Latitude of culture’s location (°)	-1.4	2014; Parkinson 2010: 246; Nevermann 2010: 13

    Geographical Range of Culture

    Question	Response	Source
    Number of islands inhabited by culture	Four or more	Nevermann 2010: 13

    Features of Island with Largest Culture Population

    Question	Response	Source
    Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown)	Tectonic (an oceanic island formed by tectonic uplift, e.g. Macquarie Island)	Nevermann 2010: 23
    Maximum elevation (meters)	650	Clark 2008: 64
    Island Size (km²)	400	Clark 2008: 64

  • Social Environment
    Social Environment

    Question	Response	Source
    Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus	2600	Nevermann 2010: 29, 33
    Importance of Matrilateral descent (V.2)	High (Matrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, and is more important than any other form of descent.)	Nevermann 2010: 152
    Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2)	Low (Patrilateral descent plays little or no role in determining social status and / or group membership.)	Nevermann 2010: 152
    Polygamy (SCCS 861)	Limited polygyny (< 20% of married males)	Nevermann 2010: 150
    Estimated population of largest political community	100-999	Nevermann 2010: 30, 158
    Political Authority	Local (encompasses the local community and / or multiple sublocal groups)	Nevermann 2010: 158

    Conflict

    Question	Response	Source
    (No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767)	High (Conflict is frequent and often violent, but is not a pervasive aspect of daily life.)	Nevermann 2010: 158
    (No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773)	Common, at least every five years	Nevermann 2010: 32, 159-160
    (No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774)	Occasional, at least every generation	Nevermann 2010: 3-8, 143-144

  • Subsistence and Economy
    Subsistence and Economy

    Question	Response	Source
    Metalworking	Absent	Nevermann 2010: 96-115

    Land-based means of subsistence

    Question	Response	Source
    Animal husbandry as a source of food	Medium	Nevermann 2010: 67, 68
    Land-based hunting performed by individuals	Minor	Nevermann 2010: 69
    Land-based gathering	Medium	Nevermann 2010: 68
    Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups	Medium	Nevermann 2010: 67, 69
    Agriculture / Horticulture	Principal (more important than any other source of food)	Nevermann 2010: 67, 75

    Water-based means of subsistence

    Question	Response	Source
    Water-based gathering	Medium	Nevermann 2010: 68
    Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups	Major	Nevermann 2010: 67, 69-75
    Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals	Major	Nevermann 2010: 67, 69-75

    Commercial Activity

    Question	Response	Source
    Trade / wage labour as a source of food	Major	Nevermann 2010: 67-88, 144-145

• Post Contact History (1908-None)
  • Secular History
    Demographic and Social Changes

    Question	Response	Source
    Foreign government systems	Present, and of high importance (At one time or another during the post-contact period the culture was subject to a foreign government system that controlled most important decisions.)	Chinnery 1928: 129

    Loss of Autonomy

    Question	Response	Source
    Loss of autonomy during postcontact period	High (On at least one occasion during the post-contact period, the culture came under the political dominance of a foreign power, and this event resulted in considerable loss of autonomy.)	Chinnery 1928: 129
    Nature of loss of autonomy – voluntary vs. forced	Largely involuntary (autonomy was lost largely as a result of external force)	Nevermann 2010: 1-8