The Preparation: Shrunken Heads and Trophy Head Methods

Stipulation: The article about the practice of shrinking heads is from the 1920s so some of the information is vague about in what culture they observed this practice of shrinking heads.  They generalize the practice of shrinking heads to be done by all Amazonian Indians; however the method of how they shrink the heads seems to be legitimate because of a comparison with another source.

Jivaro, Non-Ceremonial Shrunken Head

Over 100 Nasca trophy heads have been found in Peru, making the Nasca, along with Paracas (a tribe also found in ancient Peru), one of the few cultures that used decapitated heads for ritual use.  Each head is prepared in a particular manner.  These heads were removed from the body using a sharp obsidian knife.   The cut split the cervical vertebrae, completing removing the head from the body. 

 Cervical Vertebrae (neck), demonstrating the cut where the head was removed.

From there, a club was taken to the base of the skull, removing the foramen magnum along with parts of the occipital bone (Proulx 2001:123).  All the soft tissue, including the eyes, muscles and the brain were removed from the skull through this hole at the base of the skull (DeLeonardis 2000:366).  The next part is the process that makes Nasca trophy heads so unique; the hole for the carrying rope must be created.  A hole must be punctured or drilled through the center of forehead.  A wooden toggle attached to the end of the carrying rope is then inserted into the head through the forehead hole.  This secures the rope in place.

Nasca Trophy Heads

Nasca trophy heads are naturally mummified.  Their lips and eyes are sewn shut with cactus needles or thorns from huardango trees.  The head is now stuffed with cloth, though some skulls have found traces of maize, cactus skins, maní and pacae (Proulx 2001:124).  The finished product is supposed to appear lifelike, generally still having skin and hair on the outside of the skull (DeLeonardis 2000:367).

Jivaro Shrunken head found in Cuenca, Ecuador

The conqueror cuts off the head, spilts the scalp by a vertical incision in the occipital region, and neatly removes the skull with the brain, eyes, muscles, jaw, and tongue, leaving the skin of the face and scalp intact.  The incision is closed a continuous stitch and the coetaneous bag is packed with hot pebbles, or hot sand, and carefully dried in the sun… When this process is complete the skin shrinks to the size of an orange preserving the features (John Bland-Sutton 1922)

Similar to what the Nasca do their own shrunken heads lips these Amazonian Indians seal the lips shut with thread, instead of cactus needles, that can be dyed in alternating colors or un-dyed.  

References:

Bland-Sutton, James (1922)

Spolia Nemoralia (Shrunken Heads, Ear-plugs, and Labrets).  The British Medical Journal. 2(3228) 932-934. BMJ Publishing Groups.

DeLeonardis, Lisa

The Body Context: Interpretating Early Nasca Decapitated Burials In Latin American Antiquity. Society for American Archaeology. 11(4):363-386. 2000 http://www.jstor.org/stable/972002

Proulx, Donald A.

Ritual Uses of Trophy Heads in Ancient Nasca Society In Ritual Sacrifice in Ancient Peru, edited by Elizabeth Benson and Anita Cook. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pp. 119-136. 2001

Fun Fact: If you would like to Shrink heads yourself, this website will show you how.  Go to http://shrunkenheadcookbook.com/shrunken-heads-gallery.html

Created By: Catie, Kristina, and Mandy