The following table shows how the proportions between archaeological and ethnographic collections from each continent in the founding collection compare:

Continent

Definite

Arch.

% of continent's objects

Definite

Ethno.

% of continent's objects

Other

% of continent's objects

Totals

Africa

160

8.9

1586

88.9

37

2

1783

Americas

393

22.5

977

56

376

21.5

1746

Asia

95

3.2

2680

90.8

177

6

2952

Australia & Oceania

3

0.1

1644

96

64

3.7

1711

Europe

9896

86.6

1194

10.4

336

3

11426

Global

10637

54.3

7909

40.3

1060

5.4

19606

It is clear that European archaeology in the founding collection also dominates the overall European collections; all the other object collections from other continents are dominated by Ethnography.

 

Continent

Definite

Arch.

% of continent's objects

Definite

Ethno.

% of continent's objects

Other

% of continent's objects

Totals

Africa

1475

52.2

1263

44.6

91

3.2

2829

Americas

466

44.8

454

43.6

121

11.6

1041

Asia

1088

32.4

2168

64.7

96

2.9

3352

Australia & Oceania

0

0

1453

99.5

7

0.5

1460

Europe

6526

57.7

4243

37.6

535

4.7

11304

Global

9722

47.6

9773

47.9

924

4.5

20419

In the second collection the proportion between archaeological and ethnographic collections in continents is much more even. The exceptions are Europe, where archaeology is more important than in most continental collections, and Australia, where ethnography constitutes practically all the collection.

AP, May 2010

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