Pitt Rivers as a named collector - Statistics and Biography
Part I - biography and statistics
1. Biography
[article ID:316]
Here is a potted biography of Pitt Rivers and his collection. Please note that it is based upon M.W. Thompson and Mark Bowden biographies, Bill Chapman's D.Phil thesis [copy in Balfour Library] and Alison Petch's 3 year research project on the founding collection:
Date |
Event |
1827 |
Born. Named Augustus Henry Lane Fox |
1841 |
Admitted as Cadet at Sandhurst |
1845 |
Commissioned into Grenadier Guards |
1850 |
Rank of Captain |
1851 |
Testing new rifles in Woolwich. |
|
According to Chapman PR started collecting locks and keys |
1852 |
Visits France, Belgium and Piedmont studying musketry training |
|
Definitely collecting by this date [first definite date given in accession book entry] |
1853 |
Marries Alice Stanley |
|
Commandant of new School of Musketry, Hythe |
1854 |
Rifle training in Malta |
|
Fighting In Crimea from September - October |
|
Visits Bulgaria in summer |
|
Returns to England Promoted Brevet Major |
1855 |
Returns Malta in May where first child born |
1856 |
Malta, Chief Inspector of Musketry |
1857 |
Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel |
|
In Malta, returns to UK in August |
|
Criticised for training methods in Malta |
1858 |
In June gives lecture on rifle to Royal United Services Institution |
|
In England and ?Austria |
|
Based in London |
1859 - 1860 |
Remains in England |
1861 |
In England until December when he goes to Canada as part of Trent Incident |
1862 |
In Canada, in Cork Ireland from August as Assistant Quartermaster General |
1863 |
In Ireland |
1864 |
In Ireland, during summer does archaeological work near Cork |
1865 |
In Ireland, surveys Roovesmore Fort |
1866 |
In London, in October - November does work on London Wall |
1867 |
Promoted Colonel. |
|
In April he undertakes archaeological work in Yorkshire Wolds with Greenwell |
|
In June gives lecture on Primitive Warfare |
|
In July goes on Army half pay |
|
In September does further archaeological work on Sussex hillforts and Cissbury |
1868 |
Various archaeological endeavours including Cissbury, Oxfordshire, Anglesey, Isle of Thanet |
|
In June gave second lecture on primitive warfare |
|
In August attended International Congress on Prehistoric Archaeology |
|
In November elected Secretary of Ethnological Society |
1869 |
Works on Thames terraces, North Wales |
|
In June gives third annual lecture on Primitive Warfare |
1870 |
Works in Bedfordshire, Yorkshire, Oxfordshire and Suffolk [?] |
1871 |
Vice-President of Society of Antiquaries |
1872 |
Attended BAAS meeting in Brighton in August |
|
Worked on Sussex sites |
1873 |
Takes command of West Surrey Brigade Depot at Guildford |
1874 |
In July Lectures on Principles of Classification |
|
In July opening of exhibition of collection at Bethnal Green |
|
Publishes catalogue for displays at Bethnal Green |
|
In December lectures on Early modes of Navigation |
|
Works on Postford Farm, Guildford where he lives [the place not the farm!] |
1875 |
In May gives lecture on the Evolution of Culture to Royal Institution |
|
Continues to live in Guildford |
|
Between June and September works at Cissbury |
1876 |
In June elected to Royal Society |
|
Works at Seaford Camp, barrows near Guildford |
|
Continues to live in Guildford |
1877 |
Works at Somerset with Rolleston, barrows near Guildford, Mount Caburn |
|
In October made Major-General |
|
Gives up command at Guildford |
1878 |
His collection displays moved from Bethnal Green to South Kensington Museum |
|
Works at Caesar s camp Folkestone and Mount Caburn |
|
In October - November works on Brittany archaeological survey |
|
Remains in France over winter |
1879 |
During March - April continues Brittany archaeological survey |
|
In Scandinavia with Rolleston |
|
In October works at Dane s Dyke, Flamborough |
1880 |
Inherits Cranborne Chase and changes name to Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers |
|
During August and September barrow digging at Rushmore with Rolleston |
|
Creates Larmer gardens on estate |
1881 |
In March goes on a Cook s Tour of Egypt |
|
From October to February 1882 carries out work at Winklebury Camp |
1882 |
From July to September in Austria (and Germany?) |
|
In October made an honorary Lieutenant-General |
|
In November invited to become Inspector of Ancient Monuments |
|
In December works on barrows at Cranborne |
1883 |
Begins inspection of ancient monuments |
|
In August in Scotland |
1884 |
In June in Wales, in August on east coast of Scotland |
|
Collection moves from South Kensington Museum to Oxford |
1886 |
In June gets DCL from Oxford University |
|
In August - September in Carlsbad |
1900 |
Dies at Rushmore |
STATISTICS FOR THE PITT RIVERS FOUNDING COLLECTION
Please note: All of Pitt Rivers field collected items were given by him, several items owned by him were given to the Museum but only one prior to 1946 (a medal cast to put into archaeological digs when refilled, given by Harold St George Gray who worked for him). However the pre-1946 database upon which the following statistics are based does not give the whole picture as items from the founding collection have continued to be found unentered since that date. The additional items that would be associated with this collection if this full picture were taken into account are as follows:
|
Up to 1945 |
Up to 23.2.04 |
Difference |
Items that are field collected (all also donated by PR) |
4,464 |
4,475 |
+ 11 |
Items that were owned by PR but not donated by him |
1 |
134 * |
+ 133 |
Items which were donated by him |
17,802 |
18,107 |
+ 305 |
*This figure includes items obtained post 1945 from the Pitt-Rivers family, items purchased from Christies and other items donated by a SP Gill.
All of the 305 additional items donated by him were in reality part of the Pitt Rivers founding collection. However because of the way we decided to construct the ESRC database of pre-1946 objects they have been excluded.
2. Pitt Rivers relationship to his collection at the PRM
[article ID:317]
How many objects were donated by the collector in total? - 17,802
How many objects were field collected by the collector in total? - 4,464
How many objects were owned by the collector as an other owner in total? - 1 [where he wasn't the donor, it came via Harold St George Gray who had worked for him]
How many objects are linked to the collector in these three ways, in total (ie factoring out overlaps)? Of the 17,802 objects that were donated by Pitt Rivers, 4,464 had been field collected by him. In addition he owned one object which was actually donated by a third party (see above). The total therefore is 17,803.
Were other family members (i.e. with the same name) involved, if so, how many family members, in what relationship to the objects, how many objects? His son, George Pitt-Rivers later donated a separate collection of objects most of which he had probably field collected himself. All of Pitt Rivers founding collection came in 1884. As has been shown above a further 133 items which did form part of his collections came to the museum post 1945, some of these came via members of his family. But in essence the answer to this question is No-one and None.
3. Profiling the DONATED collection as a whole
Archaeology and ethnography:
[article ID:319]
How many objects are catalogued as archaeological? - 9,509
How many objects are catalogued as ethnographic? 7,305 (plus one ethnographic object for which he was the other owner)
How many objects are catalogued as archaeological or ethnographic? - 988
Given that Pitt Rivers had sizeable collections of both stone tools and pottery sherds (which were donated to the Pitt Rivers Museum) it is perhaps surprising that the percentages of archaeology and ethnography are so close (there tends to be very large numbers of stone tools and pottery sherds in collections, and often estimates have to be used for them both of which tend to inflate the figures although as they are estimates they could of course be underestimates too).
What percentage of the DONATED collection as a whole is attributed respectively to:
[article ID:320]
Africa - 1,686
Americas - 1,516
Asia - 2,580
Australia - 409
Europe 10,312 [plus one where he was the other owner]
Oceania - 1,252
Unknown - 316
A far higher percentage of objects come from Europe in the Pitt Rivers collections than in the museum's collections up to 1945 as a whole. More than half of Pitt Rivers collections are European, with proportionally far fewer objects coming from Africa, Australia, and Asia. The Americas and Oceanian collections proportions are broadly similar.
An interesting exercise is to compare Pitt Rivers with Balfour (whose collecting was of course, later and presumably informed by the contents of the Pitt Rivers collection, but is similarly global in reach).:
The percentage of European objects is very large in both collections at well over 50 per cent, there are very similar percentages for Australia, Asia and the Americas, but Balfour has a much larger percentage of items from Africa and a slightly smaller percentage of items from Oceania.
What percentage of the DONATED archaeological collection is attributed to
[article ID:321]
Africa - 165
Americas - 208
Asia - 81
Australia - 0
Europe - 8,904
Oceania - 0
Unknown - 162
The European items dominate the Pitt Rivers founding collection archaeological collections, forming 93 per cent of the total.
What percentage of the ethnographic collection is attributed to
[article ID:322]
Africa - 1,480
Americas - 936
Asia - 2,317
Australia - 392
Europe [plus one where he was the other owner] - 1,131
Oceania - 1,205
Unknown - 99
What percentage of Archaeological or Ethnographic collection is attributed to
[article ID:323]
Africa - 41
Americas - 372
Asia - 182
Australia - 17
Europe - 277
Oceania - 47
Unknown - 55
Given that the Americas collections in the Pitt Rivers founding collection are relatively few, the number of objects that cannot be clearly categorised as archaeological or ethnographic is quite high.
By combining the above data, how is the collection as a whole divided between archaeology, ethnography, and region?
Africa archaeological - 165
Africa ethnographic - 1,480
Africa arch or eth - 41
Americas archaeological - 208
Americas ethnographic - 936
Americas arch or eth - 372
Asia - archaeological 81
Asia ethnographic - 2,317
Asia arch or eth - 182
Australia archaeology - 0
Australia ethnographic - 392
Australia arch or eth - 17
Europe archaeological - 8,904
Europe ethnographic - 1,131
Europe arch or eth - 277
Oceania archaeological - 0
Oceania ethnographic - 1,205
Oceania arch or eth - 47
Unknown archaeological - 162
Unknown ethnographic - 99
Unknown arch or eth - 55
The nil results for Australia and Oceania archaeology are omitted from the following pie-chart, as are the results which are actually less than 1 per cent of the total collection: Asian archaeological items, and African, Australian and Oceanian archaeological or ethnographic items:
Same figures shown for each separate continent:
Oceanian ethnography is split into:
Oceania Melanesia - 645
Oceania Micronesia - 62
Oceania Polynesia - 326
Oceania unspecified or with two sub-continents named in one entry [mostly Melanesia and Polynesia, mostly because of Fiji etc] - 172
Ethnography dominates the African part of the Pitt Rivers founding collection, as they do the Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania.
But the European collections are dominated by archaeology:
as are the ones of unknown provenance.
4. Profiling the FIELD COLLECTED collection as a whole
[article ID:324]
Archaeology and ethnography:
What percentage of the collection is archaeological - 4,385
what percentage ethnographic? - 62
What percentage of the collection is A/E? - 17
The dominance of the European archaeological collections is overwhelming, at 99 per cent of all his field collection
Continents:
Africa - 17
Americas - 0
Asia - 2
Australia - 0
Europe - 4,447
Oceania - 0
Unknown - 0
Again the dominance of the European collections is overwhelming, both Africa and Asia actually form less than one per cent of the field collection
The only continent worth doing a breakdown for is Europe:
Archaeological - 4,384
Ethnographic - 46
Arch or ethn - 17
Percentage of overall European archaeological founding collections actually field collected by Pitt Rivers himself:
Total number of European archaeological items: 8,904
Total number of European archaeological items field collected by Pitt Rivers: 4,384
So Pitt Rivers field collected a little under half of the overall European archaeological artefacts in the founding collection.
Field collecting in France
[article ID:325]
Note that Pitt Rivers carried out surveying trips to Brittany, and other trips to France as holidays. For some of the entries (particularly with the Brittany archaeological objects in his collections) we have not suggested that he was the field collector, though he most certainly could be. This is probably at variance with the usual practise that has been taken with naming field collectors where physical presence in a country is taken as making it possible the person was the field collector. Petch's belief when compiling the founding collection computerised catalogue is that it was possible that he just obtained these tools from local amateur archaeologists etc during his travels. This is partly supported by the fact that for some entries he is definitely given as the field collector, but in others this information is not given (it is these that do not give him as field collector). If he was noted as the possible field collector for these items the position would change to:
Brittany archaeological items from founding collection:
Items he definitely or most probably field collected: 175 [he is already noted as field collector for these]
Maximum items he could have collected for whom field collector not now named: 230
Total maximum number of Brittany items that Pitt Rivers could have collected: 405
Of course if these had been added then the proportion of European archaeology that he himself would have increased:
Adding the additional Brittany items has increased the percentage of the overall European archaeological collections that Pitt Rivers himself collected to over 50 per cent.
5. Countries represented in the Pitt Rivers founding collection:
[article ID:326]
Readers are reminded yet again that a single object can, of course, have more than one country assigned to it during the cataloguing and accessioning process, therefore we have taken great care not to add together countries and set them against the total number of objects in our summary unless we have excluded any double counting between categories.
Countries etc in green have no items at all from there in founding collection. Their colonial status is noted by [NC] = non-colonial [C] = colonial [at any time up to 1945]
Countries etc in blue were colonial assets of UK by 1884 [ie more than likely when Pitt Rivers collected them, though of course some of them may have been collected prior to the date of acquisition by him - it is not possible to check each entry against the dates]. Note that some countries which became colonies after 1884 are not registered in blue. Non-colonial countries are marked in red. Country names in black are for those countries which WOULD BECOME colonies but were not by 1884.
Countries |
Pitt Rivers as field collector |
Pitt Rivers as donor |
Afghanistan |
0 |
4 [some poss India] |
Albania |
0 |
6 [1 poss Slovenia] |
Algeria |
0 |
50 |
American Samoa |
0 |
0 |
Andaman Islands India |
0 |
364 |
Andorra |
0 |
0 |
Angola |
0 |
12 [2 poss also Congo] |
Anguilla |
0 |
0 |
Antigua |
0 |
0 |
Argentina |
0 |
97 [many poss Chile] |
Armenia |
0 |
0 |
Aruba |
0 |
0 |
Ascension Island |
0 |
0 |
Australia |
0 |
410 |
Australia [Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
0 |
0 |
Australia [Norfolk Island] |
0 |
0 |
Austria |
17 [1 poss Italy] |
22 [some poss Italy] |
Azerbaijan |
0 |
0 |
Bahamas |
0 |
0 |
Bahrain |
0 |
0 |
Bangladesh |
0 |
3 |
Barbados |
0 |
5 [some poss Trinidad] |
Belarus |
0 |
0 |
Belgium |
1 [poss Germany] |
32 some poss France etc |
Belize |
0 |
0 |
Benin Republic |
0 |
10 [1 poss Nigeria] |
Bermuda |
0 |
0 |
Bhutan |
0 |
2 [poss lots of other places] |
Bolivia |
0 |
1 [poss Peru] |
Bosnia Herzegovina Yugoslavia |
0 |
0 |
Botswana [1] |
0 |
20 |
Brazil |
0 |
22 [1 poss Guyana] |
Brunei |
0 |
0 |
Bulgaria |
0 |
12 |
Burkina Faso |
0 |
0 |
Burundi |
0 |
0 |
Cambodia |
0 |
2 |
Cameroon Cameroun |
0 |
10 [some poss other places] |
Canada |
0 |
134 [+ 430 poss USA or Greenland] |
Cape Verde |
0 |
1 |
Cayman Islands |
0 |
0 |
Central African Republic |
0 |
1 poss Sudan or Congo |
Chad |
0 |
0 |
Chechnya |
0 |
0 |
Chile |
0 |
123 [most poss Argentina] |
China [Excluding Hong Kong] |
0 |
338 [some poss Japan] |
China [Hong Kong] |
0 |
0 |
Colombia |
0 |
3 [1 poss Nicaragua] |
Comoros Islands |
0 |
0 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of |
0 |
50 [most poss other Congo or Angola] |
Congo, People s Republic of |
0 |
31 [most poss other Congo or Angola] |
Cook Islands [2] |
0 |
23 some poss Tubuai] |
Costa Rica |
0 |
12 |
Côte d Ivoire Ivory Coast |
0 |
1 [poss Liberia] |
Croatia Yugoslavia |
0 |
5 |
Cuba |
0 |
1 [poss St Lucia] |
Cyprus |
0 |
199 |
Czech Republic |
2 [1 poss Hungary] |
4 [2 poss Hungary or Poland] |
Denmark |
28 |
392 |
Djibouti |
0 |
0 |
Dominica |
0 |
0 |
Dominican Republic |
0 |
0 |
East Timor |
0 |
10 [poss Indonesia] |
Easter Island Rapa Nui |
0 |
5 |
Ecuador |
0 |
48 |
Egypt [3] |
17 |
232 |
El Salvador |
0 |
0 |
Equatorial Guinea |
0 |
3 [1 poss Cameroon] |
Eritrea |
0 |
0 |
Estonia |
0 |
0 |
Ethiopia |
0 |
27 [most poss Egypt or Sudan] |
Falkland Islands |
0 |
0 |
Fiji |
0 |
169 |
Finland |
0 |
5 [all poss Sweden or Norway] |
France |
300 |
1364 |
French Guiana |
0 |
see individual areas |
Gabon |
0 |
306 |
Galapagos Islands Ecuador |
0 |
0 |
The Gambia |
0 |
12 [all poss other places] |
Gambier Islands French Polynesia |
0 |
1 [poss Tubuai] |
Georgia |
0 |
0 |
Germany |
10 [1 poss Belgium] |
68 |
Ghana |
0 |
44 |
Gibraltar |
0 |
0 |
Greece |
0 |
148 |
Greenland |
0 |
148 [most also poss USA and Canada] |
Grenada |
0 |
0 |
Guadeloupe |
0 |
0 |
Guam |
0 |
0 |
Guatemala |
0 |
1 |
Guinea |
0 |
4 [could be Guinea-Bissau or Sierra Leone] |
Guinea-Bissau |
0 |
12 [could be Senegal or Gambia] |
Guyana |
0 |
77 |
Haiti |
0 |
0 |
Heard & McDonald Islands |
0 |
0 |
Honduras |
0 |
3 |
Hungary |
4 [1 poss Czech] |
13 [most could be other places] |
Iceland |
0 |
2 |
India |
0 |
208 |
'British India' |
0 |
352 |
Indonesia |
0 |
55 [many could be other places] |
Iran |
0 |
20 |
Iraq [4] |
0 |
16 |
Ireland |
15 [some poss UK] |
519 [some could be UK] |
Irian Jaya (Indonesia) |
0 |
119 [most could be PNG etc] |
Israel [5] |
0 |
12 [most could be Palestine] |
Italy |
2 [poss Germany or Austria] |
348 |
Jamaica |
0 |
2 |
Japan |
0 |
295 [some poss China] |
Jordan [6] |
0 |
7 [poss some Israel or Palestine] |
Kazakhstan |
0 |
0 |
Kenya [7] |
0 |
1 [poss Ethiopia] |
Kiribati [8] |
0 |
40 |
Korea |
0 |
22 |
Kuwait |
0 |
0 |
Kyrgyzstan |
0 |
0 |
Laos |
0 |
0 |
Latvia |
0 |
0 |
Lebanon |
0 |
1 [poss Palestine or Israel] |
Lesotho |
0 |
3 |
Liberia |
0 |
7 [poss some from other places] |
Libya |
0 |
14 |
Liechtenstein |
0 |
0 |
Lithuania |
0 |
0 |
Luxembourg |
0 |
0 |
Macau |
0 |
0 |
Macedonia Yugoslavia |
0 |
0 |
Madagascar |
0 |
8 |
Malawi |
0 |
0 |
Malaysia |
0 |
38 [most could be other places] |
Maldives |
0 |
0 |
Mali |
0 |
1 [could be Senegal or Gambia] |
Malta |
1 |
15 |
Marquesas Islands French Polynesia |
0 |
34 |
Marshall Islands |
0 |
3 |
Martinique France |
0 |
0 |
Mauritania |
0 |
0 |
Mauritius |
0 |
0 |
Mayotte |
0 |
0 |
Melilla |
0 |
0 |
Mexico |
0 |
74 |
Micronesia, Federated States of [Caroline Islands] |
0 |
2 [1 poss Palau] |
Moldova |
0 |
0 |
Monaco |
0 |
0 |
Mongolia |
0 |
0 |
Montenegro Yugoslavia |
0 |
0 |
Montserrat |
0 |
0 |
Morocco |
0 |
1 |
Mozambique (Moçambique) |
0 |
2 [1 poss S Africa] |
Myanmar (Burma) [9] |
0 |
117 [some poss other places] |
Namibia [10] |
0 |
7 [some poss S Africa] |
Nauru |
0 |
0 |
Nepal |
0 |
19 [some poss other places] |
The Netherlands |
0 |
4 [1 poss Germany] |
Netherlands Antilles |
0 |
0 |
New Caledonia Nouvelle Calédonie |
0 |
63 |
New Zealand |
0 |
134 |
Nicaragua |
0 |
12 |
Nicobar Islands India |
0 |
219 |
Niger |
0 |
2 |
Nigeria [11] |
0 |
97 |
Niue [12] |
0 |
16 |
North Korea |
0 |
0 |
Northern Mariana Islands |
0 |
0 |
Norway |
0 |
70 [some poss Sweden or Finland] |
Oman |
0 |
0 |
Pakistan |
0 |
43 |
Palau, Republic of [Caroline Islands] |
0 |
1 [poss Micronesia] |
Palestine [13] |
0 |
12 [most poss Israel etc] |
Panama |
0 |
1 |
Papua New Guinea [14] |
0 |
260 [many poss Irian Jaya] |
Paraguay |
0 |
1 |
Peru |
0 |
141 |
Philippines |
0 |
6 |
Pitcairn Islands |
0 |
2 |
Poland |
0 |
2 [poss Norway or Czech Rep] |
Portugal |
1 |
14 [some poss Spain] |
Portugal [Madeira] |
0 |
1 |
Puerto Rico |
0 |
0 |
Qatar |
0 |
0 |
Reúnion |
0 |
0 |
Romania |
0 |
0 |
Ross Dependency |
0 |
0 |
Russia [excluding Siberia] |
0 |
77 |
Russia [Siberia] |
0 |
4 |
Rwanda |
0 |
0 |
Samoa [15] |
0 |
38 |
San Marino |
0 |
0 |
São Tomé & Príncipe |
0 |
0 |
Saudi Arabia |
0 |
0 |
Senegal |
0 |
12 [most poss other places] |
Serbia Yugoslavia |
0 |
0 |
Seychelles |
0 |
0 |
Sierra Leone |
0 |
10 [some poss other places] |
Singapore |
0 |
2 [both poss other places] |
Slovakia |
0 |
0 |
Slovenia |
0 |
1 [poss Albania] |
Society Islands French Polynesia |
0 |
27 |
Solomon Islands [16] |
0 |
210 |
Somalia [17] |
0 |
9 |
South Africa |
0 |
210 |
South Georgia |
0 |
0 |
South Korea |
0 |
0 |
South Sandwich Islands |
0 |
0 |
Spain |
0 |
72 |
Sri Lanka |
0 |
38 [some could be India etc] |
St Helena |
0 |
0 |
St Kitts - Nevis |
0 |
0 |
St Lucia |
0 |
2 [1 could be Cuba] |
Sta Pierre & Miquelon |
0 |
0 |
St Vincent & the Grenadines |
0 |
1 |
Sudan [18] |
0 |
141 [some poss other places] |
Surinam Suriname |
0 |
1 |
Swaziland |
0 |
0 |
Sweden |
12 |
91 [some poss Norway or Finland] |
Switzerland |
1 [poss France] |
336 |
Syria |
0 |
5 |
Taiwan |
0 |
2 [poss China] |
Tajikistan |
0 |
0 |
Tanzania [19] |
0 |
7 |
Thailand |
0 |
9 [2 poss Burma] |
Tibet |
0 |
16 [some other places] |
Togo |
0 |
0 |
Tokelau Islands [20] |
0 |
1 [poss NZ] |
Tonga [21] |
0 |
60 [some poss Samoa] |
Trinidad & Tobago |
0 |
2 [1 poss Barbados] |
Tristan da Cunha St Helena |
0 |
0 |
Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia |
0 |
2 |
Tubuai Islands French Polynesia |
0 |
10 [some poss other places] |
Tunisia |
0 |
2 |
Turkey |
1 [poss Ukraine] |
53 |
Turkmenistan |
0 |
0 |
Turks & Caicos Islands |
0 |
0 |
Tuvalu [22] |
0 |
2 |
Uganda [23] |
0 |
1 [poss Sudan] |
UK |
4,068 |
6445 [some poss Ireland] |
Ukraine |
1 [poss Turkey] |
29 [some poss Russia] |
United Arab Emirates |
0 |
0 |
Uruguay |
0 |
0 |
USA |
0 |
245 [430 poss Canada or Greenland] |
USA [Hawaii] |
0 |
0 |
Uzbekistan |
0 |
0 |
Vanuatu [24] |
0 |
112 |
Vatican City |
0 |
0 |
Venezuela |
0 |
0 |
Vietnam |
0 |
3 |
Virgin Islands |
0 |
0 |
Wallis & Futuna Islands |
0 |
0 |
Western Sahara |
0 |
0 |
Western Samoa |
0 |
0 |
Windward Islands |
0 |
0 |
Wrangel Island (Vrangelya Ostrov) |
0 |
0 |
Yemen |
0 |
2 |
Yugoslavia |
0 |
0 |
Zambia [25] |
0 |
1 [poss Congo] |
Zimbabwe [26] |
0 |
1 [poss S Africa] |
Unknown or only continental provenance given |
- |
1499 |
Countries from which Pitt Rivers field collected:
[article ID:327]
[By order of size of collection - NB there is double counting between these countries so this ordering is problematic]
Priority |
Countries from which there are objects from Pitt Rivers donation |
Pitt Rivers as field collector |
Continent |
1 |
UK |
4,068 |
Europe |
2 |
France |
300 |
Europe |
3 |
Denmark |
28 |
Europe |
4 |
Austria |
17 [1 poss Italy] |
Europe |
4 |
Egypt |
17 |
Africa |
6 |
Ireland |
15 [some poss UK] |
Europe |
7 |
Sweden |
12 |
Europe |
8 |
Germany |
10 [1 poss Belgium] |
Europe |
9 |
Hungary |
4 [1 poss Czech] |
Europe |
10 |
Czech Republic |
2 [1 poss Hungary] |
Europe |
10 |
Italy |
2 [poss Germany or Austria] |
Europe |
11 |
Belgium |
1 [poss Germany] |
Europe |
11 |
Malta |
1 |
Europe |
11 |
Portugal |
1 |
Europe |
11 |
Switzerland |
1 [poss France] |
Europe |
11 |
Turkey |
1 [poss Ukraine] |
Europe / Asia |
11 |
Ukraine |
1 [poss Turkey] |
Asia |
The vast majority of countries Pitt Rivers is known to have collected from are European
Countries from which Pitt Rivers donated objects in the founding collection:
[article ID:328]
[By order of size of collection - NB there is double counting between these countries so this ordering is problematic]
Priority |
Countries from which there are objects from Pitt Rivers donation |
Pitt Rivers as donor |
Continent |
1 |
UK |
6,445 [some poss Ireland] |
Europe |
2 |
France |
1,364 |
Europe |
3 |
Ireland |
519 [some could be UK] |
Europe |
4 |
Australia |
410 |
Australia |
5 |
Denmark |
392 |
Europe |
6 |
Andaman Islands India |
364 |
Asia |
7 |
'British India' |
352 |
Asia |
8 |
Italy |
348 |
Europe |
9 |
China [Excluding Hong Kong] |
338 [some poss Japan] |
Asia |
10 |
Switzerland |
336 |
Europe |
11 |
Gabon |
306 |
Africa |
12 |
Japan |
295 [some poss China] |
Asia |
13 |
Papua New Guinea |
260 [many poss Irian Jaya] |
Oceania Melanesia |
14 |
USA |
245 [430 poss Canada or Greenland] |
North America |
15 |
Egypt |
232 |
Africa |
16 |
Nicobar Islands India |
219 |
Asia |
17 |
Solomon Islands |
210 |
Oceania Melanesia |
18 |
South Africa |
210 |
Africa |
19 |
India |
208 |
Asia |
20 |
Cyprus |
199 |
Europe |
21 |
Fiji |
169 |
Oceania Melanesia/ Polynesia |
22 |
Greece |
148 |
Europe |
22 |
Greenland |
148 [most also poss USA and Canada] |
North America |
24 |
Peru |
141 |
South America |
24 |
Sudan |
141 [some poss other places] |
Africa |
26 |
Canada |
134 [+ 430 poss USA or Greenland] |
North America |
27 |
New Zealand |
134 |
Oceania Polynesia |
28 |
Chile |
123 [most poss Argentina] |
South America |
29 |
Irian Jaya (Indonesia) |
119 [most could be PNG etc] |
Oceania Melanesia |
30 |
Myanmar (Burma) |
117 [some poss other places] |
Asia |
31 |
Vanuatu |
112 |
Oceania Melanesia |
32 |
Argentina |
97 [many poss Chile] |
South America |
33 |
Nigeria |
97 |
Africa |
34 |
Sweden |
91 [some poss Norway or Finland] |
Europe |
35 |
Russia [excluding Siberia] |
77 |
Europe |
35 |
Guyana |
77 |
Middle America |
37 |
Mexico |
74 |
Middle America |
38 |
Spain |
72 |
Europe |
39 |
Norway |
70 [some poss Sweden or Finland] |
Europe |
40 |
Germany |
68 |
Europe |
41 |
New Caledonia Nouvelle Calédonie |
63 |
Oceania |
42 |
Tonga |
60 [some poss Samoa] |
Oceania |
43 |
Indonesia |
55 [many could be other places] |
Asia |
44 |
Turkey |
53 |
Europe / Asia |
45 |
Algeria |
50 |
Africa |
45 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of |
50 [most poss other Congo or Angola] |
Africa |
47 |
Ecuador |
48 |
South America |
48 |
Ghana |
44 |
Africa |
49 |
Pakistan |
43 |
Asia |
50 |
Kiribati |
40 |
Oceania |
51 |
Malaysia |
38 [most could be other places] |
Asia |
51 |
Samoa |
38 |
Oceania Polynesia |
51 |
Sri Lanka |
38 [some could be India etc] |
Asia |
54 |
Marquesas Islands French Polynesia |
34 |
Oceania Polynesia |
55 |
Belgium |
32 some poss France etc |
Europe |
56 |
Congo, People s Republic of |
31 [most poss other Congo or Angola] |
Africa |
57 |
Ukraine |
29 [some poss Russia] |
Europe |
58 |
Ethiopia |
27 [most poss Egypt or Sudan] |
Africa |
58 |
Society Islands French Polynesia |
27 |
Oceania Polynesia |
60 |
Cook Islands |
23 some poss Tubuai] |
Oceania |
61 |
Austria |
22 [some poss Italy] |
Europe |
61 |
Brazil |
22 [1 poss Guyana] |
South America |
61 |
Korea |
22 |
Asia |
64 |
Botswana |
20 |
Africa |
64 |
Iran |
20 |
Asia |
66 |
Nepal |
19 [some poss other places] |
|
67 |
Iraq |
16 |
|
67 |
Niue |
16 |
|
67 |
Tibet |
16 [some other places] |
|
70 |
Malta |
15 |
|
71 |
Portugal |
14 [some poss Spain] |
|
71 |
Libya |
14 |
|
73 |
Hungary |
13 [most could be other places] |
|
74 |
Angola |
12 [2 poss also Congo] |
|
74 |
Bulgaria |
12 |
|
74 |
Costa Rica |
12 |
|
74 |
The Gambia |
12 [all poss other places] |
|
74 |
Guinea-Bissau |
12 [could be Senegal or Gambia] |
|
74 |
Israel |
12 [most could be Palestine] |
|
74 |
Nicaragua |
12 |
|
74 |
Palestine |
12 [most poss Israel etc] |
|
74 |
Senegal |
12 [most poss other places] |
|
83 |
Benin Republic |
10 [1 poss Nigeria] |
|
83 |
Cameroon Cameroun |
10 [some poss other places] |
|
83 |
East Timor |
10 [poss Indonesia] |
|
83 |
Sierra Leone |
10 [some poss other places] |
|
83 |
Tubuai Islands French Polynesia |
10 [some poss other places] |
|
88 |
Thailand |
9 [2 poss Burma] |
|
88 |
Somalia |
9 |
|
90 |
Madagascar |
8 |
|
91 |
Jordan |
7 [poss some Israel or Palestine] |
|
91 |
Liberia |
7 [poss some from other places] |
|
91 |
Namibia |
7 [some poss S Africa] |
|
91 |
Tanzania |
7 |
|
95 |
Albania |
6 [1 poss Slovenia] |
|
95 |
Philippines |
6 |
|
97 |
Barbados |
5 [some poss Trinidad] |
|
97 |
Croatia Yugoslavia |
5 |
|
97 |
Easter Island Rapa Nui |
5 |
|
97 |
Finland |
5 [all poss Sweden or Norway] |
|
97 |
Syria |
5 |
|
102 |
Afghanistan |
4 [some poss India] |
|
102 |
Czech Republic |
4 [2 poss Hungary or Poland] |
|
102 |
Guinea |
4 [could be Guinea-Bissau or Sierra Leone] |
|
102 |
The Netherlands |
4 [1 poss Germany] |
|
102 |
Russia [Siberia] |
4 |
|
107 |
Bangladesh |
3 |
|
107 |
Colombia |
3 [1 poss Nicaragua] |
|
107 |
Equatorial Guinea |
3 [1 poss Cameroon] |
|
107 |
Honduras |
3 |
|
107 |
Lesotho |
3 |
|
107 |
Marshall Islands |
3 |
|
107 |
Vietnam |
3 |
|
114 |
Bhutan |
2 [poss lots of other places] |
|
114 |
Cambodia |
2 |
|
114 |
Iceland |
2 |
|
114 |
Jamaica |
2 |
|
114 |
Micronesia, Federated States of [Caroline Islands] |
2 [1 poss Palau] |
|
114 |
Mozambique (Moçambique) |
2 [1 poss S Africa] |
|
114 |
Niger |
2 |
|
114 |
Pitcairn Islands |
2 |
|
114 |
Poland |
2 [poss Norway or Czech Rep] |
|
114 |
Singapore |
2 [both poss other places] |
|
114 |
St Lucia |
2 [1 could be Cuba] |
|
114 |
Taiwan |
2 [poss China] |
|
114 |
Trinidad & Tobago |
2 [1 poss Barbados] |
|
114 |
Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia |
2 |
|
114 |
Tunisia |
2 |
|
114 |
Tuvalu |
2 |
|
114 |
Yemen |
2 |
|
131 |
Bolivia |
1 [poss Peru] |
|
131 |
Cape Verde |
1 |
|
131 |
Central African Republic |
1 poss Sudan or Congo |
|
131 |
Côte d Ivoire Ivory Coast |
1 [poss Liberia] |
|
131 |
Cuba |
1 [poss St Lucia] |
|
131 |
Gambier Islands French Polynesia |
1 [poss Tubuai] |
|
131 |
Guatemala |
1 |
|
131 |
Kenya |
1 [poss Ethiopia] |
|
131 |
Lebanon |
1 [poss Palestine or Israel] |
|
131 |
Mali |
1 [could be Senegal or Gambia] |
|
131 |
Morocco |
1 |
|
131 |
Palau, Republic of [Caroline Islands] |
1 [poss Micronesia] |
|
131 |
Panama |
1 |
|
131 |
Paraguay |
1 |
|
131 |
Portugal [Madeira] |
1 |
|
131 |
Slovenia |
1 [poss Albania] |
|
131 |
St Vincent & the Grenadines |
1 |
|
131 |
Surinam Suriname |
1 |
|
131 |
Tokelau Islands |
1 [poss NZ] |
|
131 |
Uganda |
1 [poss Sudan] |
|
131 |
Zambia |
1 [poss Congo] |
|
131 |
Zimbabwe |
1 [poss S Africa] |
|
Of the top 10 countries, Pitt Rivers donated mostly from Europe [6 out of 10), Asia (3 out of 10) and one entry in top 10 from Australia. Europe clearly dominates these collections. Pitt Rivers had objects in his donated collection from 152 countries, and 87 countries from which he had 10 or more objects.
Countries from which Pitt Rivers did not field collect or donate any objects:
[article ID:329]
[in alphabetical order] American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua, Armenia, Aruba, Ascension Island, Australia (Cocos Keeling and Norfolk Island), Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkino Faso, Burundi, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chechnya, China (Hong Kong), Comoros, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Galapagos Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Malawi, Maldives, Martinque, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Melilla, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Nauru, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Ross Dependency, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tomé, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, South Georgia, South Korea, South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, St Kitts - Nevis, Sta Pierre and Miquelin, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Togo, Tristan da Cunha, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, Uruquay, USA (Hawaii), Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Western Samoa, Windward Islands, Wrangel Island.
Pitt Rivers collections and colonialism
[article ID:330]
A large number of the countries we have assumed were colonial during the 1884 - 1945 period were in fact NOT colonies by 1884, in other words when Pitt Rivers collected them (in both senses) they would not have been collected from a country which had a colonial status to Britain. Here is a table of the parts of the founding collection that were obtained from countries which were colonies before 1884. Please note however that in some instances, they only became colonies shortly before 1884 ie Egypt which became a colony in 1882, so in fact he probably did most of his collecting from there before it became a colony.
Countries |
Pitt Rivers as field collector |
Pitt Rivers as donor |
Andaman Islands India |
0 |
364 |
Australia |
0 |
410 |
Bangladesh |
0 |
3 |
Barbados |
0 |
5 [some poss Trinidad] |
Canada |
0 |
134 [+ 430 poss USA or Greenland] |
Cyprus |
0 |
199 |
Egypt |
17 |
232 |
Fiji |
0 |
169 |
The Gambia |
0 |
12 [all poss other places] |
Ghana |
0 |
44 |
Guyana |
0 |
77 |
India |
0 |
208 |
'British India' |
0 |
352 |
Jamaica |
0 |
2 |
Lesotho [C] |
0 |
3 |
Malaysia |
0 |
38 [most could be other places] |
Malta |
1 |
15 |
New Zealand |
0 |
134 |
Nicobar Islands India |
0 |
219 |
Pakistan |
0 |
43 |
Pitcairn Islands |
0 |
2 |
Sierra Leone |
0 |
10 [some poss other places] |
Singapore |
0 |
2 [both poss other places] |
South Africa |
0 |
210 |
Sri Lanka |
0 |
38 [some could be India etc] |
St Lucia [C] |
0 |
2 [1 could be Cuba] |
St Vincent & the Grenadines |
0 |
1 |
Trinidad & Tobago [C] |
0 |
2 [1 poss Barbados] |
Yemen |
0 |
2 |
The number of objects that came from colonial possessions are relatively few compared to the size of the founding collection as a whole. Please note however that it is not possible to total up this table because there still might be double-counting of entries with more than one country listed in one entry.
6. Pitt Rivers founding collection viewed by class
[article ID:331]
Classes |
Pitt Rivers as field collector |
% |
Pitt Rivers as donor |
% |
Agriculture |
2 |
0 |
47 |
0 |
Animalia |
25 |
0 |
148 |
1 |
Animal Gear |
19 |
0 |
229 |
1 |
Bag |
0 |
0 |
149 |
1 |
Barkcloth |
0 |
0 |
36 |
0 |
Basketry |
0 |
0 |
346 |
2 |
Body Art |
0 |
0 |
47 |
0 |
Box |
22 |
0 |
141 |
1 |
Carving |
3 |
0 |
36 |
0 |
Ceremonial |
1 |
0 |
190 |
1 |
Children |
1 |
0 |
108 |
1 |
Clothing |
22 |
0 |
497 |
3 |
Commemoration |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
Cordage |
1 |
0 |
484 |
3 |
Currency |
3 |
0 |
93 |
1 |
Dance |
1 |
0 |
62 |
0 |
Death |
12 |
0 |
136 |
1 |
Dwelling |
48 |
1 |
64 |
0 |
Fan |
0 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
Figure |
13 |
0 |
1,370 |
8 |
Fire |
20 |
0 |
104 |
1 |
Fishing |
0 |
0 |
454 |
3 |
Food |
18 |
0 |
431 |
2 |
Furniture Dwelling |
0 |
0 |
80 |
0 |
Geology |
17 |
0 |
79 |
0 |
Headhunting |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Hunting |
1 |
0 |
195 |
1 |
Insignia |
0 |
0 |
30 |
0 |
Lighting |
2 |
0 |
128 |
1 |
Lock |
18 |
0 |
52 |
0 |
Marriage |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
Mask |
0 |
0 |
127 |
1 |
Measurement |
2 |
0 |
58 |
0 |
Medicine |
4 |
0 |
70 |
0 |
Metallurgy |
1 |
0 |
23 |
0 |
Model |
2 |
0 |
356 |
2 |
Music |
2 |
0 |
328 |
2 |
Narcotic |
4 |
0 |
232 |
1 |
Navigation |
0 |
0 |
417 |
2 |
Ornament & bead |
16 |
0 |
1,888 |
11 |
Photograph |
0 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
Physical Anthropology |
65 |
2 |
341 |
2 |
Picture |
0 |
0 |
141 |
1 |
Plant |
78 |
2 |
184 |
1 |
Pottery |
2,806 |
63 |
3,683 |
21 |
Punishment & Torture |
2 |
0 |
33 |
0 |
Religion |
22 |
0 |
732 |
4 |
Reproduction |
5 |
0 |
116 |
1 |
Scientific Apparatus |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Specimen |
157 |
4 |
408 |
2 |
Sport |
0 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
Status |
0 |
0 |
79 |
0 |
Technique |
1 |
0 |
52 |
0 |
Textile |
12 |
0 |
288 |
2 |
Theatre |
0 |
0 |
105 |
1 |
Time |
1 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
Toilet |
27 |
0 |
215 |
1 |
Tool [definite] |
1,097 |
25 |
3,379 |
19 |
Tool or weapon |
260 |
6 |
2,305 |
13 |
Toy & Game |
3 |
0 |
458 |
3 |
Trade |
0 |
0 |
52 |
0 |
Transport |
1 |
0 |
257 |
1 |
Vessel |
78 |
2 |
1,032 |
6 |
Weapon [definite] |
41 |
1 |
2,502 |
14 |
Writing |
3 |
0 |
186 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total number of objects field collected by named collectors |
4,464 |
- |
17,802 |
|
The lines in red relate to objects which form more than 10 per cent of the field collection or donation. Note that for Pitt Rivers these are relatively limited:
Ornament and bead: which forms more than ten per cent of the founding collection donation
Items made from Pottery - which is more than 10 per cent of Pitt Rivers collection from the field and his donated collection
Definite tools - which are more than 10 per cent of Pitt Rivers collection from the field and his donated collection
Tools or weapons - which are more than ten per cent of the donated collection
Weapons - which are more than ten per cent of the donated collection
Interestingly the number of items made from pottery dominates the field collection, this is because of the large number of pottery sherds, the number of many of which have had guesstimated. The next most common class of object in the field collection is unsurprisingly tools of which the vast majority are made from stone. The high numbers of both stone tools and pottery sherds reflects the fact that many of Pitt Rivers field collection were obtained via archaeological digging.
The percentage of pottery sherds of the donated collection is much lower, dropping to a fifth of the collection and the percentage share of this collection of tools has also decreased. The percentages of ornaments and beads, weapons and tools or weapons is much larger in the donated collection suggesting that these were easier to obtain from other sources rather than in the field.
Note that Pitt Rivers donated at least one object in EVERY class, this is probably almost unique for Pitt Rivers Museum's donors. His field collection does not cover all the classes.
Pitt Rivers top 10 classes as compared with overall collections up to 1945
[article ID:332]
Collections up to end of 1945 |
|
|
|
Pitt Rivers field collection |
|
|
|
Pitt Rivers founding donation |
|
|
|
Position |
Type |
No. of objects |
% of overall collections |
Position |
Type |
No. of objects |
% of overall collections |
Position |
Type |
No. of objects |
% of overall collections |
1 |
Definite Tools |
57,750 |
32 |
1 |
Pottery |
2,806 |
63 |
1 |
Pottery |
3,683 |
21 |
2 |
Definite Weapons |
22,085 |
12 |
2 |
Definite Tools |
1,097 |
25 |
2 |
Tools [definite] |
3,379 |
19 |
3 |
Ornaments & Beads |
21,345 |
12 |
3 |
Tool or weapon |
260 |
6 |
3 |
Weapons [definite] |
2,502 |
14 |
4 |
Religious artefacts |
15,125 |
8 |
4 |
Specimens |
157 |
4 |
4 |
Tools or weapons |
2,305 |
13 |
5 |
Pottery |
12,597 |
7 |
5 } |
Vessels |
78 |
2 |
5 |
Ornaments & beads |
1,888 |
11 |
6 |
Tools or weapons |
10,709 |
6 |
5 } |
Plants |
78 |
2 |
6 |
Figures |
1,370 |
8 |
7 |
Figures |
9,571 |
5 |
7 |
Physical Anthropology |
65 |
2 |
7 |
Vessels |
1,032 |
6 |
8 |
Vessels |
7,463 |
4 |
8 |
Dwellings |
48 |
1 |
8 |
Religious artefacts |
732 |
4 |
9 |
Clothing |
6,846 |
4 |
9 |
Weapons [definite] |
41 |
1 |
9 |
Clothing |
497 |
3 |
10 |
Specimens |
6,722 |
4 |
10 |
Toilet |
27 |
0 |
10 |
Cordage |
484 |
3 |
|
Total number of objects |
179,765 |
100 |
|
Total number of objects in field collection |
4464 |
100 |
|
Total number of objects in founding collection |
17,802 |
100 |
Conclusions:
A far higher percentage of items in the Pitt Rivers field collection are made from pottery than in either his donated collection or the collection as a whole up to end 1945. Definite tools are less common in the Pitt Rivers collection (either element) than they are in the overall collections.
7. Accession dates
[article ID:333]
Because Pitt Rivers collections were basically all donated together, in 1884, this section does not apply.
See Part II for information on other people related to the Pitt Rivers collection.
Alison Petch
March 2004
[1] Note that Botswana was established as a colony in 1884 and therefore post-dates the donation of the founding collection
[2] The Cook Islands only became a Protectorate in 1888 and therefore post-date the donation
[3] Egypt s colonial status only just pre-dates donation, as came under British control in 1882
[4] Iraq only established as British colony in 1921.
[5] Israel only became part of British Empire in 1918
[6] Jordan only established as British colony in 1921.
[7] Kenya became a Protectorate in 1895
[8] Kiribati became protectorate in 1895
[9] Myanmar annexed in 1885
[10] Namibia only became a colony in 1919 [when under control of South Africa]
[11] Nigeria became British colony formally in 1886
[12] Niue was annexed in 1900
[13] Palestine was conquered by British in 1918
[14] PNG became protectorate in 1884
[15] Samoa only became colony in 1914
[16] Solomon Islands only became colony in 1893
[17] Part of Somalia became protectorate in 1887
[18] Sudan became a protectorate in 1899
[19] Tanzania became colony 1919
[20] Tokelau became a protectorate in 1889
[21] Tonga became a colony in 1900
[22] Tuvalu became a protectorate in 1892
[23] Uganda became a protectorate in 1894
[24] Vanuatu became a colony in 1887
[25] Zambia came under British control in 1889
[26] Zimbabwe came under British control in 1889
