Single manuscripts, typescripts and other materials donated to the Tuzin Archive of Melanesian Anthropology since 1982. It includes many conference papers and other unpublished reports, most concerning anthropological topics. The geographic scope of the collection includes Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji.
Melanesian Archive Miscellaneous Manuscript Collection, 1900-1996 (MSS 181)
Extent: 8.8 Linear feet (22 archives boxes)
The Melanesian Archive was started in 1982 by Donald Tuzin and Fitz John Poole, both faculty members of the Department of Anthropology at UCSD. The Archive is dedicated to the collection, preservation, dissemination, and repatriation of unpublished materials on all aspects of Melanesian society, culture, linguistics, and history.
Original funding for the Melanesian Archive was provided by the U.S. Dept. of Education, under Title II-C of the Higher Education Act. Current funding is provided by the UCSD Library and campus administration. Additional funding has been supplied by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.
The Melanesian Archive's collections have been and continue to be built primarily through direct solicitation and gifts of materials from Melanesian scholars. Authors are urged to give copies of their unpublished works to the archive and, if possible, to grant open access to their works and permission to make copies.
The collection contains original manuscripts, typescripts, and other documentary materials concerning Melanesia. Some of the materials are in non-English languages including Dutch, French, and German. Many concern anthropology, particularly the ethnology of Papua New Guinea, but also included are works on related topics such as education, linguistics, and history. While the geographic emphasis is on Papua New Guinea, the collection also includes materials on Irian Jaya, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji. Arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the author.