When Were Shrunken Heads Made?

In the 1930s, a shrunken head sold for $25—$330 in today's dollars. In fact, they were popular and lucrative enough that unscrupulous head-peddlers started trading in fake shrunken heads, made from the heads of sloths and other animals. And telling the difference between a real and fake shrunken head can be hard.

Where do shrunken heads come from?

The shrunken heads, or tsantsas, were made by the Shuar and Achuar people who live in the rainforests of Ecuador and Peru. They were created by peeling back the skin and hair of a human skull of a dead male enemy, with the bones, brain and other matter being discarded.

Are shrunken heads legal?

The trafficking of these heads was outlawed by Ecuadorian and Peruvian governments in the 1930s but there doesn't seem to be any laws in Ecuador or Peru that prevent shrinking heads outright. In the 90 years since lawmakers made the sale of tsantsas illegal, it may have still been practiced by the older generations.