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A shrunken head is a severed and specially-prepared human head – often decreased to many times smaller than typical size – that is used for trophy, ritual, trade, or other purposes. Headhunting is believed to have occurred in many regions of the world since time immemorial , but the practice of headshrinking per se has only been documented ...
- What Were Shrunken Heads Used For? Tsantsas are severed human heads that were used by tribal cultures in myriad ways. Sometimes, they were used as war trophies or for ceremonial purposes.
- Which Countries or Cultures Performed Head Shrinking? Although headhunting was a common practice among many ancient tribes, the act of shrinking heads has been found throughout the Pacific and northwestern Amazonian regions of South America.
- Are Shrunken Heads Real Human Heads? Yes, they are real human remains. That means that if you’ve seen authentic tsantsas exhibited at museums and in private collections around the world, they would have belonged to actual human beings.
- How Were Shrunken Heads Made? Shrunken head rituals seem to most often be associated with war and the superstitions behind getting rid of your enemy.
Mar 15, 2024 · Learn how the Jivaroan people of South America made shrunken heads from their enemies for centuries, and how they traded them with Europeans for guns and knives. Discover the origins, rituals, and challenges of this macabre practice.
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Mar 20, 2013 · Learn how the Jivaro tribes of South America shrank their enemies' heads for spiritual purposes, and how to distinguish real and fake shrunken heads. The process involved boiling, heating, sewing, and blackening the skulls, and the results were displayed as trophies or souvenirs.
Jul 9, 2022 · Learn about the cultural practice of shrinking heads in the Pacific, from Māori mokomakai to Shuar tsantsa. Discover how they were made, why they were preserved, and how they fascinated Europeans.
Learn about the ancient tradition of head shrinking among the Shuar people of Ecuador and Peru. Watch a scientist try to recreate the process himself and see the results.
- 4 min
- Smithsonian Magazine
Aug 3, 2022 · Learn how the Jivaroan Indians of the Amazonian rainforest made tsantsas, shrunken heads of their enemies, for spiritual and cultural reasons. Discover the process, the controversy, and the significance of this tribal practice.
