Shrunken head

A shrunken head is a severed and specially-prepared human head with the skull removed – many times smaller than its original 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 head shrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest. Jivaroan peoples, which includes the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru, are known to keep shrunken human heads. While many were probably made from the remains of these peoples, the Shuar people are the only culture in the world that practiced ritualistic head shrinking.

Shuar people call a shrunken head a tsantsa, also transliterated tzantza. Many tribe leaders would display their heads to scare enemies.

Shrunken heads are known for their mandibular prognathism, facial distortion, and shrinkage of the lateral sides of the forehead; these are artifacts of the shrinking process. Among the Shuar, the reduction of the heads was followed by a series of feasts centered on important rituals.