Find out the history of shrunken heads and how they are made. The video footage is pretty gruesome. Authentic ceremonial shrunken heads can sell for up to $60,000 dollars. But be warned, they might come with a curse.
The true tsantsa usually was made from the head of a rival tribesman,
says Conrad, who outlined the process: The skull was removed from the
head by making an incision along the back of the head and carefully
skinning the flesh. The skull was discarded, while the skin and hair
were boiled in water, causing the flesh to shrink. The skin was then
sewn back up and filled with hot sand or pebbles. "It was then smoked
like a ham for several days, and they rubbed tree sap over them to
preserve them."