Aeryk Egan
Tommy Larson
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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 ...
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.
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.
Oct 5, 2021 · Learn about the origin, meaning, and method of shrunken heads, a ghoulish practice of some Amazonian tribes. Find out how they were used as trophies, warnings, and souvenirs, and how to distinguish real from fake ones.
- Bipin Dimri
Nov 16, 2021 · Learn about the ancient practice of shrinking human heads by the Jivaro and other tribes in South America. Discover the cultural and religious significance of these ceremonial artifacts and their role in warfare and vengeance.
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
