Petrequin donation
The donation made by Anne-Marie and Pierre Pétrequin renewed and enriched the ethnographical collections of the Department of Comparative Archaeology at the National Archaeological Museum at Saint Germain en Laye. It improved the department's collections, which on the whole had been acquired before the death of Henri Hubert (1872-1927), the assistant curator in charge of the reorganization of the "Comparison Room" (see the section on the Department of Comparative Archaeology in the newsletter).
The deed formalizing the donation to the museum was signed on 15 June 1995 and incorporated a commitment to publish an exhaustive and fully illustrated catalogue of the collection.
From 1984 to 2002 two prehistorians from the National Centre of Scientific Research undertook 17 successive expeditions to compare their experiences as archaeologists with today's ethnological realities in New Guinea and in the Moluccas.
They took this opportunity to bring back almost 1,800 artefacts demonstrating the techniques and expertise of peoples who exploit quarries to hew and polish stone axes, produce salt as a means to accumulate wealth or make extraordinary pottery which is traded in huge quantities along the coasts.
These artefacts were put on display in 2007 in an exhibition devoted to the collection.
