Agats

Agats is the administrative town of the Asmat region on the south coast of Papua, built on ground so low and waterlogged that there are no streets: the whole town stands on ironwood boardwalks raised above tidal mud, with houses, shops and offices on piles and motorbikes running along the planks. The Asmat are among the most significant woodcarving peoples anywhere - bisj poles carved from mangrove trunks for mortuary ceremonies, shields, canoe prows and figures, worked in a vocabulary tied to headhunting, ancestors and reciprocal obligation - and their work is held in major museums, having reached them through collecting expeditions including the 1961 trip on which Michael Rockefeller disappeared. The Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress in Agats holds a substantial collection, and a carving festival is held annually.

History

Agats had long been home to the Asmat, and the first outside settlement came in the late 1930s with a Catholic mission, followed in 1938 by a Dutch outpost. The mission became permanent in 1953 and a permanent government post followed the next year; Asmat woodcarving drew collectors and museums, Michael Rockefeller disappeared in 1961 after leaving Agats for southern Asmat, the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress opened in 1973, the annual Asmat Cultural Festival began in 1981, and in 2002 the town became the seat of the new Asmat Regency (Wikipedia, Agats).

What to look for

• A town on boardwalks - everything raised above tidal mud, no streets at all.
• Asmat carving - bisj poles, shields and figures in the mortuary and ancestor tradition.
• The Asmat museum - the collection in Agats and its annual carving festival.
• River travel - longboats through the mangrove channels to the villages.

When to go

Drier around June to September. Four days.

What to expect

Access is by small flight and then boats; everything is expensive and slow. Malaria is present. Papua permit rules change - check before travelling. Village visits need guides and arrangement.

Nearby

Timika is north-west by air; the Asmat villages are through the river channels.

Key facts