[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

-T 5 APPENDIX A
THE PREHISTORIC POTTERY
In his article on the “ Degree-Taking Rites at South-West Bay,
Malekula " (]RAI., 1928, vol. lviii), Layard describes the prehistoric
pottery jars and cylinders which are found in South-West Malekula
and which are there connected primarily with rites for the increase of
pigs, and with the mythical Ambat. Further specimens of this pottery
were reported by Deacon from Mewun, Lambumbu, Lagalag, and Nesan
districts. In Mewun they are associated with the rites for “ making
man â€ù ; in Lambumbu, Lagalag, and Nesan with the increase
ceremonies for bread-fruit, and in accordance with this it is known
in Lambumbu as ambwi nembat “ bread-fruit boxes". Further, in
Seniang, Mewun, and Lambumbu, it is to-day connected with the
mythical beings known by the names Ambat, Kabat, and Hambat.
Whether in Lagalag the pots are supposed to have anything to do with
Hambut is not reported, nor do we know whether, in Nesan, any
such mythological beings (or being) exist. Unfortunately, Deacon
did not himself see any specimens of this pottery from the north—
or if he did do so he left no records about it—and the only pieces
which he collected came from Seniang district. In appearance these
resemble very closely the jars and cylinders described by Layard, both
in texture, shape, and decoration (see Plate XX IIIB), the bulk of them
being ornamented with incised geometric designs, and two having
on them a crude " naturalistic â€ù representation of the human form.
Only one broken cylinder is somewhat unusual in that it is apparently
more thoroughly baked, of perhaps rather less coarse texture, and of
a reddish colour, owing to oxidization in the ï¬Åring.
Entirely unlike this coarse grey ware is a fragment of pottery
(Pl. XXIVB, a),dug up near the village of Worvulu (not far from Metanui)
on the south coast. It is called, as are the other sacred pots of Seniang,
naamboi, and is presumably a part of some jar or bowl, but unfortu-
nately it is too small a piece from which to judge anything of the
shape of the original to which it belonged, As the photograph shows,
it is deeply incised, one might even say sculptured, the depressions
being from one-sixth to one-quarter of an inch deep. The design
clearly represented a human face, and its treatment, although not
wholly like that of modern Malekulan art, shows certain resemblances
to it. With this fragment there was also dug up a piece of blackened
wood (Pl. XXIVB, b) carved in the shape of a hurnan bone, and decorated
at either end with the design of a human face. Unfortunately, Deacon
left no records which throw light on the signiï¬Åcance of either the
carved wood or the pottery fragment, and it seems indeed that he
was unable to learn anything about them. Nevertheless the fragment
is important. To-day no pottery is made in Malekula—the nearest
pot-makers are those of west Sant0—but the coarse grey jars and
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