In the dry season, old coral reefs are sometimes exposed along the river bank at Angoram. Although the flour is primarily starch, it provides a reliable source of food which does not have to be cultivated. Large quantities can be gathered, processed and stored in a relatively short period of time. The diet is normally supplemented by fish, some wild game and temporary gardens during the dry season. This relative stability provides the time to create complex ceremonies and the art that accompanies them.
Nothing lasts long in the tropics with the humidity, floods, fire and termites.
Perhaps that is one reason why Sepik carvers are so prolific. Their raw materials may be mostly limited to wood, clay, feathers and shell, but their inventiveness is not. Sepiks are a tough, practical people who survive in a difficult environment and who create world-class art. It's become common to refer to much of contemporary Sepik art as tourist art. However, Sepiks are heirs to a great tradition which is going strong, changing and evolving to meet new needs while sustaining old roots.