The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in what is currently the Papua province of Indonesia. They inhabit a region on the island's southern coast, much of it a large wetland sometimes referred to as the Asmat Swamp. The total Asmat population is estimated to be around 70,000. Map showing Papua province in Indonesia Papua is a province of Indonesia comprising part of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands (see also Western New Guinea). ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... Asmat Swamp is a wetland on the southern coast of New Guinea, located within what is now the Indonesian province of Papua. ...

The swamp has been a major factor affecting the Asmat. Due to the tidal flooding which frequently occurs in many parts of the swamp, Asmat dwellings have typically been built two or more metres above the ground, raised on wooden posts. In some inland regions, the Asmat have lived in tree houses, sometimes as high as twenty-five metres from the ground. The Asmat have traditionally placed great emphasis on the veneration of ancestors, particularly those who were accomplished warriors. Asmat art, most noticably elaborate wood carving, is designed to honour ancestors. The tide is the regular rising and falling of the oceans surface caused by changes in gravitational forces external to the Earth. ... A tree house (also spelled treehouse) is a house that is built among the branches or around the trunk of one or more mature trees and is a least 3m off the ground. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... Carved wooden cranes Wood carving is the process whereby wood is ornamented with any design, by means of sharp cutting tools held in the hand. ...

The swamp has also isolated the Asmat from other peoples. It was not until the mid-20th century that they came into regular contact with outsiders. Initially, the Asmat had a reputation as headhunters and cannibals, and were left undisturbed. Although the Netherlands laid claim to the western half of the island in 1828, a post of the colonial government was not established in the area until 1938, and it was not until Catholic missionaries arrived in 1958 that significant interaction began. Even today, the Asmat are relatively isolated. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... // A headhunter was a person who killed another and then took the others head. ... Cannibalism in Brazil in 1557 as described by Hans Staden. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... -1... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Asmat Art Gallery
• American Museum of Asmat Art