Pitt Rivers Museum Removes Shrunken Heads Display After Consultation with Shuar Representatives

The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has opted to discontinue its display of shrunken heads, referred to as tsantas, after showcasing them for over 80 years. These authentic items were crafted by the Shuar and Achuar peoples from Ecuador, Peru, and the Amazon basin, intended to harness spiritual energy from multiple souls believed to inhabit men. Laura Van Broekhoven, the museum director, remarked that such exhibits perpetuated racist and stereotypical notions, which are at odds with the museum's fundamental principles. This decision came after consultations with representatives from the Shuar community, approximately 40,000 strong, and experts from San Francisco University in Quito. The heads, collected from various donors between 1884 and 1936, underwent a preservation method involving skin removal, soaking, and filling with sand. Oxford University, which manages the museum, has a history of returning Maori and Aboriginal remains to indigenous groups. In 2018, the museum hosted a conference by the Museum Ethnographers Group that centered on decolonizing museum practices. Van Broekhoven had previously condemned the display as bizarre and barbaric, likening it to a freak show.