shrunken head

Shrunken heads in the permanent collection of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Seattle 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 people, the Shuar people are the only culture in the world that practiced ritualistic head shrinking.