Pounder (penu)
Production date
Pre 1790
Country
Australia
State/Province
Queensland
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Object detail
Description
Pounder (penu) made from stone, designed for processing food (poi). Features flared oval-shaped base and cross bar handle at top. Sometimes referred to as a 'Poi Pounder'.
Classification
ARCHAEOLOGY Maritime Archaeology
INDIGENOUS CULTURES Polynesian
INDIGENOUS CULTURES Polynesian
Maker
Production date
Pre 1790
Production place
Measurements
H 115 x Dia. 125 mm
Media/Materials description
Stone
History and use
This penu was recovered from HMS Pandora, a naval vessel sent from England in 1790 in pursuit of the HMS Bounty and its mutineers. Following navigation in the South Pacific, Pandora wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in 1791 on its return voyage.
The Pandora shipwreck was discovered in 1977, and Queensland Museum conducted archaeological expeditions between 1983 and 1999 recovering many artefacts.
Stone pounders like this penu were used in Polynesia to prepare 'poi' (a starchy Tahitian pudding made from pounded/mashed breadfruit, taro, or bananas, and matured by fermentation), an important food staple of the South Pacific region.
The penu was collected by Pandora's officers and crew, among over 500 other cultural artefacts and natural history specimens.
The Pandora shipwreck was discovered in 1977, and Queensland Museum conducted archaeological expeditions between 1983 and 1999 recovering many artefacts.
Stone pounders like this penu were used in Polynesia to prepare 'poi' (a starchy Tahitian pudding made from pounded/mashed breadfruit, taro, or bananas, and matured by fermentation), an important food staple of the South Pacific region.
The penu was collected by Pandora's officers and crew, among over 500 other cultural artefacts and natural history specimens.
Registration number
MA4138
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