Takia · Karkar Island, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Oceania
Garamut
Summary
Slit-log drum system of the Takia-speaking people of Megiar village in Papua New Guinea, mentioned by Watson and Duffield (2016): The garamut is no longer used for communication at Megiar, though it can still be usedto provide the beat for the music at a traditional song and dance performance. The reasons why it was discontinued for messaging, which predated the introduction of mobile telephones, are unclear. One Megiar interviewee suggested that the garamut had not been used as a communication tool since about 1970, with none constructed since then"(p. 274).
Bibliography
Watson, A. H. A., & Duffield, L. R. (2016). From garamut to mobile phone: Communication change in rural Papua New Guinea. Mobile Media & Communication, 4(2), 270–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157915622658