Remarkably well-preserved shrunken head has just been authenticated by DNA analysis, which provides strong evidence that anecdotal
accounts of violent head-hunting in South America were true. The study, published in the latest issue of Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences,
marks the first successful effort to unveil the genetic make-up of a shrunken head.
"The shrunken heads were made from enemies'
heads cut on the battlefield," co-author Gila Kahila Bar-Gal told Discovery News. "Then, during spiritual ceremonies, enemies' heads were carefully
reduced through boiling and heating, in the attempt to lock the enemy's spirit and protect the killers from spiritual revenge."
DNA analysis of this shrunken head displayed at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv proved its authenticity. The head remains in an
incredible state of preservation, with the deceased man's hair, facial features and other physical characteristics intact
The researchers determined that the skin belonged to a man who lived and died in South America "probably in the Afro-Ecuadorian population." The
genes reveal the victim's ancestors were from West Africa, but his DNA profile matches that of modern populations from Ecuador with African
admixture.
Source:
archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com...
Hey Now.... sucks to be the loser of that fight. You know, I always saw the whole shrunken head thing as a bunch of bull crap. Wondering how they
could actually shink bone and things.
This just blew my mind. On two levels. The acutal confirmation of the shrunken head being read but more so this statement:
the skin belonged to a
man who lived and died in South America "probably in the Afro-Ecuadorian population
My mind blew then. Africans were in S. America-then, that early? This is news to me. Is this common knowledge?
Anyway, too freaking crazy.
Everything you need to know about shrinking heads is here, I believe:
en.wikipedia.org...edit on 7/13/2011 by anon72 because: (no reason given)
edit on 7/13/2011 by anon72
because: (no reason given)
