[Mihalic] Making roofing

[Andy Newlin - Caliber Creations]

Hello all!

Thanks for including me in your interesting discussions!  I've found several
pictures of kunai roofing and a pandanus tree that you might be interested
to see.  Here are some links:

Kunai Roofing   http://www.calibercreations.com/pisin/images/kunai_roof.htm
Pandanus Tree
http://www.calibercreations.com/pisin/images/pandanus_goroka.htm

I also found other pictures that my mom and I took in PNG, so I put them up
on this site as well.  Please feel free to comment!

Andy Newlin


-----Original Message-----
From: mihalic-bounces at anu.edu.au [mailto:mihalic-bounces at anu.edu.au]On
Behalf Of Bryant Allen
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 6:41 PM
To: Mihalic at anu.edu.au
Subject: [Mihalic] Making roofing

wokim marita, soim (sewing) marita, soimapim marita (sewing up marita).

Marita is the term for roofing material or thatching made from pandanus
leaves. This is the most common roofing in the lowlands. Note, sago leaf is
never used for roofing.

In the Torricellis at least, this way of bending single pandanus leaves
over a batten and stitching them on was introduced from the coast in the
1900s, together with a new house style (one with low walls in contrast to
the no walled house that is traditional to the mountains - roof all the way
to the ground). So it may be an Austronesian introduction. The previous way
was to plait the whole pandanus  leave back on itself. But this method is
much more effective, requires less pandanus leaves and lasts longer.

Bryant

At 09:38 AM 17-07-03 +1000, you wrote:
>What describes this activity? (See photograph.)

Dr Bryant Allen
Senior Fellow
Land Management Group
Department of Human Geography
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
ACT 0200 Australia

ANU CRICOS Provider Number is 00120C


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