The cultural area of the Sepik covers the basin of the river of the same name, which flows in the western part of New Guinea, the large island of the Pacific seen for the first time, probably by Portuguese sailors, in the 16th century. It is now divided into two political entities: Irian Jaya, which is part of the Indonesian state, and Papua New Guinea, which is part of western Melanesia. Papua New Guinea, an independent state, hosts the majority of the population of the Melanesian area, which includes, as well as New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland, Manus, the Bismarck Islands, the Trobriands and the Northern Solomon Islands. From a linguistic and cultural viewpoint, the indigenous groups of New Guinea are quite different from the Melanesians in the strict sense of the word. In fact, unlike the latter, who are more suited to sea life and mostly of matrilinear descent, the Papuan societies are patrilinear and, along with the traditional hunting and gathering economy, have developed specialized forms of horticulture. The male social-cultural predominance is clearly demonstrated in the institution of the men's house, which finds its roots in the indigenous theories of reproduction. They in fact attribute fecundation exclusively to the male force, often associated with blood spilled during the initiation rite and other ritual manifestations. The populations that live along the river Sepik have developed original art forms well represented by the Men's House, a partial reconstruction of which, with authentic ceremonial objects, is exhibited in the rooms of the Museum.