Stick Navigation Chart
date: label: Accession Date
content: 24 Aug 1960
label: Collection Date
content: 1957 to 1960
name: label: Collector
content: John H. Brandt
label: Donor Name
content: John H. Brandt
notes: label: Notes
content: From catalog card: "Directional chart. New [in 1960]"
label: Notes
content: A stick navigation chart fabricated from mid ribs of palm fronds and Pandanus splines, with shells as place markers for atolls. They were then bound together with coconut sennit in geometric patterns depicting sea currents around low lying atolls. Cowrie shells indicate islands and curved sticks represent wave patterns. "Micronesians are well know for their skills in long-distance voyaging and open sea navigation based on stars and wave patterns. The latter method was the mainstay of navigation on the atoll world of the Marshalls, facilitated by the large number of atolls, which broke the trade wind-driven swell and created complex patterns of wave refraction and reflection. Traditional navigation entailed the memorization of these patterns in their relative sequence and position to each other. For purposes of memory and teaching, the Marshalese navigators designed charts made from the mid ribs of palm fronds and Pandanus splines, with shells as place markers for atolls ('stick charts'). These charts provide information on the relative placement of atolls, wave node points and sea markers, but do not give absolute locations. Moreover, many are uni-directional and focussed on specific atolls. In addition to major overview charts, there are a number of smaller regional charts." [Spennemann, Dirk, H.R. 2005. Traditional and Nineteenth Century Communication Patterns in the Marshall Islands. "Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences". Vol. 4, 1 (25-52)]
label: Record Last Modified
content: 24 Feb 2023
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Wotje Atoll, Ratak Chain, Marshall Islands, Micronesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 231718
label: USNM Number
content: E398227-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Navigation Chart
physicalDescription: label: Unknown
content: 34.3 cm
label: Unknown
content: 36 cm