Betel Nut Pounder
date: label: Accession Date
content: 28 Mar 2008
label: Collection Date
content: 1961
name: label: Collector
content: Rev. Jan C. Walker
label: Donor Name
content: Rev. Jan C. Walker
notes: label: Notes
content: 2 pieces: tooth and base. The tooth is long and tapered at one end. A hole is drilled in the wider end, and stuffed with fibers. The other piece is wood, gradually tapering towards the base, and a flared foot. Painted with black triangles and stripes. According to the donor, this is "in two pieces because it broke apart. It actually wasn't used to pound beetle [betel] nut, it was for ceremonial use. The regular betel nut pounder was not painted. The betel nut was put in the top and the ivory looking pounder was used to crush the nut. The crushed nut was then put on a palm frond, mixed with lime (from crushed dead coral) and then twisted into a little sack. After it was chewed, it provided a mild narcotic and lot of red juice which colored the lips, teeth, and mouth..."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 2 Dec 2014
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: Yap Island, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, Micronesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Micronesian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2044795
label: USNM Number
content: E433029-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Betel Crusher
physicalDescription: label: Height - Tooth
content: 14.5 cm
label: Length - Tooth
content: 3 cm
label: Width - Tooth
content: 2 cm
label: Height - Base
content: 10.5 cm
label: Length - Base
content: 4 cm
label: Width - Base
content: 3.5 cm