Rather than a barrier, the sea has been a passageway of exploration, settlement, and exchange for the peoples of the Pacific. Nature and culture have differentiated into an intricate patchwork of island biotas and societies through episodes of isolation and interaction. Among the world’s greatest, The Field Museum’s collections from Oceania have been the inspiration for influential advances in social and evolutionary theory and economic anthropology.

Australia

Some of The Field Museum’s Australia collection was on display at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, but most came to the Museum through purchases and exchanges with Australian museums and collectors.