’Barter...immediately commenced to the satisfaction of both parties‘: cross-cultural exchange at Port Jaclson

Citation: Isabel Mcbryde (2000) ’Barter...immediately commenced to the satisfaction of both parties‘: cross-cultural exchange at Port Jaclson. The Archaeology of Difference: negotiating cross-cultural engagements in Oceania. Pp238-277. (RSS)
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Summary

This aim of this article is to explore the nature and reason of importance of exchange from the indigenous side in Sydney, Australia. By examine the historical records, the author tried to seek evidence on decisions making about whether to participate in exchange or not, and what factor influenced their decisions. Besides, the value of exotic items is also a key point to understand the motivation of exchange. Exchange goods usually involved in functional or economic aspects. They also carry social meaning, establish social relationship, or make statement of current relationship. The author thinks that the exchanged item were given social meaning form the contexts of their production or their life history. In the course of life history, the meaning of items might be recontextualized and acquire new roles. In order to understand the nature and pattern of exchanges, he suggests that we need to recognize the differences between giver and recipient in perceived value. The results shows that the indigenous group provided services, labour, local knowledge, and products as a means of negotiating economic and social survival items, food, tobacco, and alcohol. On the other hand, for Europeans, the exchange is a medium of control and the creation of dependency among the indigenous people.