Status and success measured in yams

en.ptnet.cn | Updated:2026-01-06 | Lin Kongbo, Stephanie

Among the Abelam people of Papua New Guinea, a man's success is measured not by wealth or property, but by yams. The longer and more impressive the harvest, the higher his social standing. Some yams can grow up to 3.6 metres and are carefully decorated with carved masks and ornaments, transforming them into human-like figures displayed during important rituals. Growing, polishing and presenting yams is both demanding agricultural work and a public contest of prestige. Even farming tools are elaborately carved, serving daily use while doubling as ceremonial objects. Here, yams are far more than food — they are symbols of identity, competition and status.