Mary Martin films of Turanian Herder-Farmers
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: HSFA 1988.14.1
name: label: Creator
content: Martin, Mary
label: Project director
content: Spooner, Brian
place: label: Place
content: Middle East
label: Place
content: Iran
topic: label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: Cooking
label: Topic
content: Domestic animals
label: Topic
content: Nawrūz (Festival)
label: Topic
content: Rites and ceremonies
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Received from Mary Martin in 1988.
creator: label: Creator
content: Martin, Mary
label: Project director
content: Spooner, Brian
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Filmmaker and anthropologist Mary Martin Conducted fieldwork in northeastern Iran in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania Turan Program from 1974 through 1978. She is currently Coordinator of the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 12 Film reels (6 hours, color silent; 4,145 feet, S8 mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1974-1978
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Previously titled "Turanian Herder-Farmers 1974-1978."
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: HSFA.1988.14
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
label: Type
content: Silent films
bibliography: label: Bibliography
content: Martin, Mary. "Pastoralism: Milk and Firewood in the Ecology of Turan."  -- Expedition --   22:4 (Summer 1980). 

Martin, Mary. "Making a Living in Turan: Animals, Land, and Wages."  -- Expedition --   22:4 (Summer 1980).
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: silent films
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Full film record of life among Turanian pastoralists in northeastern Iran. Documentation focuses on scenes revealing the gendered division of labor: herding and milking of goats by men, processing milk into kashk (tart) by women, and men engaged in the collection of firewood. Other domestic and agricultural activities shown are plowing and irrigation of fields, harvesting and drying of barley, animal slaughter, spinning goat hair, making grape molasses, and drying tobacco. Footage also includes ceremonial activities associated with Persian new year and pilgrimages to Islamic shrines.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.