The development and testing of a theory of the processes that shape material culture diversity using a New Guinea dataset

澳大利亚博物馆收藏了大约15万件来自太平洋的文物。据估计，海外持有量还有50万。从这些收藏品中，根据限定的主题选择对象进行研究或展览。尚未尝试以综合方式利用这些收藏品，以最大限度地发挥其研究潜力。现在已经为新几内亚中北部地区做了这项工作，现有的信息为发展一种关于带来物质文化多样性的过程的理论提供了机会。这一理论将对民族学家和考古学家具有国际意义，并为公共资助的收藏品增加价值。

Australian museums hold approximately 150,000 artefacts from the Pacific. Estimates of overseas holdings suggest another 500,000. From these collections, objects are selected for research or exhibition based on restricted themes. No attempt has yet been made to utilise these collections in a comprehensive way to maximise their research potential. This has now been done for the north-central region of New Guinea and the available information provides the opportunity to develop a theory of the processes that bring about diversity of material culture. Such a theory would be of international significance for ethnologists and archaeologists and add value to publicly-funded collections.