Describe
Describing involves careful observation and noting of every detail.
By recording the characteristics of an object or specimen, we begin the search for its identity. Scientific collections are the result of combining described objects with a validated identity.
Instruments to describe
These instruments make up a set of tools for cranial trepanning, a practice of drilling into the skull that has been used historically in various cultures to describe parts of the skull and brain and to 'treat' medical conditions or perform rituals.
Describing the parts and the whole
The Beauchêne method, developed in the 19th century by the anatomist Claude Beauchêne, is used to describe the anatomy of the skull.The 'exploded' skull is broken down into individual bones, making it possible to analyse each bone and how they relate in anatomy lessons.
Brazilian Xylotheque (Wood collection) (Final do séc. XIX / End of the 19th century) by UnknownNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
Wood libraries
Wood libraries exist to preserve, describe and catalogue the different types of wood from a particular region.
This wooden library has been carved in the shape of a book. Each piece represents a different type of tree found in Brazil.
Lichen compendium
An exsiccata is a collection of specimens and related information: a bridge that connects the library, archive and herbarium.
By describing and preserving specimens in a single compendium, their environmental and morphological conditions can be studied simultaneously.
Type specimen
The description of each species for science is based on a specific specimen, which we call the type specimen (Typus, in Latin). This is the specimen from which a species is first described. This unique specimen is preserved in a museum, recorded and made available to the scientific community, serving as a testimony and source of data for new studies.
Type specimens of two Angolan geckos described by herpetologist Luís Ceríaco. In general, the red markings indicate the type specimens.
Nautical chart of the Orinoco Delta, Gulf of Paria. (1700) by Editor: Johannes van Keulen, AmsterdamNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
Describing the world's contours
The University of Porto traces its origins back to the Nautical (1762) and Drawing (1779) Classes and the Royal Academy of Marine and Commerce (1803). Starting at this period, nautical charts described the known coastlines on Portuguese routes in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Ethnographic objects
Different cultures have always described and represented the world according to their belief systems. These objects offer a window into how each culture interprets and interacts with the world, preserving their cultural and historical heritage for future generations.
For the Latmul, the crocodile protects the world from chaos. The boy entering adulthood is therefore seen as a Crocodile Man, protecting the community. This crocodile would be in the house where the rite of passage takes place.
In Portugal, in Trás-os-Montes, the diabolical figure of the Winter Festival marks the transition between agricultural cycles.
The Mwila are a pastoralist people from south-western Angola known for their elaborate women's hairstyles, which consist of massive braids anointed with earth and animal fat and adorned with beads. The Mwila dolls depict and celebrate the distinctive Mwila hairstyle, necklace and clothing. The doll is moulded from a lightweight piece of wood material covered with indigenous cord, sometimes incorporating recycled materials.
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