Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we kept the original article and its images, and added what is documented versus what is myth, the trade in fakes, recent museum decisions on display and repatriation, and where you can learn about Shuar culture respectfully in Ecuador.

Shrunken heads: what is documented and what is myth

Author: April Holloway

Headhunting is a practice that has been carried out by numerous cultures throughout the world. For instance, during the Qin dynasty in ancient China, it is claimed that soldiers collected the heads of their dead enemies, and tied them around their waists. This was intended to terrorise and demoralise their enemies. Despite the fact that headhunting was not too uncommon a practice, the shrinking of human heads is one that was unique to the Jivaro natives of Ecuador and Peru.

The process of making a shrunken head began by obtaining a human head in battle. A head was removed from the body by cutting the skin at the extreme base of the neck. An incision was made up the back of the neck in order to peel the flesh away from the skull. The entire skull was then removed and thrown away. The eyes were sewn shut, and the mouth closed by passing small, sharp palm pegs through the lips. Then, the skin was put into a boiling pot and left to simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours. The timing was crucial, as too short a time would result in the head not shrinking properly, while leaving the head too long in the pot would cause the hair on the head to fall out. When the head was removed from the pot, it would be reduced by two-thirds of its original size, and would have a rubbery texture.

After this, the head was dried so that it would continue to shrink. Small rocks heated by a fire were used to fill the cavity of the head. Ash was then rubbed into the skin, and the head hung over a fire to allow it to dry and harden. Once this was completed, the head was attached to a cord through the scalp and worn around the warrior’s neck. The process of producing the shrunken head ended with a celebration and a feast.

Head shrinking was undertaken to appease the spirits of slain ancestors. Jivaro warriors believed that the ritual of shrinking the head paralysed the spirit of their foe and prevented it from taking revenge, and also passed the victim’s strength onto the killer.

Why are museums removing and returning shrunken heads?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European and American collectors paid for tsantsas, sometimes with guns, which fueled more killings and a flood of forgeries. Today many museums see the heads as human remains taken in a colonial context. Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum took its tsantsas off display in 2020 after finding that visitors described Shuar culture as “savage” or a “freakshow.” The museum is now working with Shuar and Achuar delegates through Universidad San Francisco de Quito. In October 2025, a Shuar delegation visited UK museums and asked for ceremonial tsantsas to be returned to Shuar territory (Museums Association). Earlier, researchers at Mercer University in Georgia authenticated a tsantsa with CT scans and handed it to Ecuador’s consulate in 2019 for repatriation.

Where can you learn about Shuar culture in Ecuador?

The best place is the Museo Pumapungo in Cuenca, a national museum whose ethnographic exhibition includes tsantsas presented in their Shuar context. Researchers have studied it as an example of intercultural education. Shuar territory is centered on Morona Santiago province, around Macas and Sucúa, where some Shuar communities run their own tourism projects. Visit through community-run programs, ask before taking photos and pay fairly for crafts.

Our Amazon trips go to Cuyabeno, in the north, where you meet a Siona community rather than the Shuar. It is still one of the best ways to spend time with an Amazonian community and learn from local guides.

Related guides

• Cuyabeno Amazon tour from Quito
• Cuyabeno vs Yasuní: which Amazon reserve should you visit?
• The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and ecotourism
• Tena, Ecuador: whitewater rafting guide
• Ingapirca and the Cañari and Inca past near Cuenca

Plan it with us

Our office is at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo, on the edge of Quito’s Old Town, inside Community Hostel. Drop by, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832 or write to info@communitytravel.ec, and one of our local guides will help you plan the Amazon part of your trip with current prices and departure dates.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Shrunken Heads of Ecuador: The Real History of Shuar Tsantsas verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.

Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we checked every fact below against current sources and added corrections where things have changed since this post was written, including the Julian Assange asylum, the UNESCO list and the expat rankings.

Despite its relatively small size compared with local giants Brazil and Argentina,Ecuador is home to an astounding array of wonders that include picturesque colonial towns, Amazonian rainforest, the spectacular peaks of the Andes and of course the fragile but alluring Galápagos Islands. Whether it’s nature, wildlife, culture, anthropology or language, this diverse country is sure to impress.

Here are the most interesting facts about Ecuador we picked up on our journey through its lands (and seas).

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ECUADOR

1. The national tree of Ecuador is the cinchona tree which produces Quinine, the first drug used to prevent and treat malaria.
   (Source: Britannica)
2. Ecuador is one of only two countries in South America that does not share a border with Brazil.
   (Source: Google Maps)
   3. In 2008, Ecuador was the first country to officially recognise the rights of nature. Rather than treating nature as property, Ecuador recognises that nature has constitutional rights and has the “right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles.”
   (Source: Rights of Nature)
3. Ecuador has granted political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Under investigation by the US government and facing extradition to Sweden, Assange sought refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London. He has been there since June 2012.
   (Source: Telegraph)
4. The summit of Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest mountain, is the point on Earth closest to the sun. Due to the mountain’s location along the equatorial bulge, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s core. This also means that Ecuador is the closest country to space.
5. (Source: Smithsonian Institution)
6. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world and has the most biodiversity per square kilometre of any nation.
   (Source: Conservation International)
7. It is well known that Ecuador is named after the equator which runs through the country. It is in fact the only country in the world officially named after a geographical feature. The official name, República del Ecuador, translates as “The Republic of the Equator”.
   (Source: Encyclopedia.com)
8. The equator is widely promoted at the tourist attraction Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City) 26km north of the capital, Quito. This is supposed to be where one can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern. Unfortunately, thanks to modern re-measurements the exact equator is said to lie 240 meters north of the marked line and monument. Doh!
   (Source: World Geodetic System)
   Would you like to explore Quito? Join our free walking tour.
9. Ecuador has the world’s first and second UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At the inaugural UNESCO World Heritage conference in 1978, 32 sites were initially designated. Every World Heritage Site has a number – site #1 is the Galápagos Islands and #2 is the city of Quito.
   (Source: UNESCO)
10. Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, is 2,850m above sea level, making it the highest official capital city in the world. La Paz in Bolivia is higher but it cheats a little as it is not the constitutional capital (that’s Sucre), only the seat of government. Nothing’s ever simple in Bolivia!
    (Source: Wikipedia)
    Do you would like to get to know Quito? Join our free walking tour.
11. Charles Darwin visited Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands in 1835 and largely based his theory of evolution on the discoveries he made there.
    (Source: Darwin Online)
    Do you would like to visiti Galapagos: Join our Galapagos Tours.
12. Guinea pig, known as ‘cuy’, is considered a delicacy in Ecuador, its consumption seen as an ancient tradition. After Kia’s reaction to me eating reindeer heart in Finland, I thought it best to refrain…
    (Source: BBC)
13. Ecuador is one of three countries created in 1830 following the collapse of Gran Colombia. After independence from the Spanish colony, the Viceroyalty of New Granada, the short-lived republic of Gran Colombia (1819–30) was created. It included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama as well as parts of northern Peru, western Guyana and northwest Brazil.
    (Source: Britannica)
14. The Panama hat is actually from Ecuador. Straw hats woven along the Ecuadorian coast were taken to Panama initially to be sold to canal workers and, after the canal opened, to affluent westerners passing through the Panama Canal.
    (Source: Montecristi Panama Hats)
15. Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas, accounting for up to 29% of all bananas exported in 2011.
    (Source: FAOstat)
16. Ecuador has been voted as the best country for expats for the second year running. Quality of life, cost of living and personal finances have all been cited as excellent reasons to up sticks and head to the equator.
    (Source: InterNations)
17. There are at least 14 recognised languages spoken in Ecuador. Spanish is the official language while 13 indigenous languages are also recognised including Quichua and Shuar
    (Source: CIA Factbook)
18. Ecuador is divided into four main and very unique geographic regions: La Costa or “the coast”, La Sierra or “the highlands”, La Amazonía also known as El Oriente or “the east” and La Región Insular, the region comprising the Galápagos Islands.
    (Source: National Geographic)

Source: http://www.atlasandboots.com/interesting-facts-about-ecuador/

Where can you see these Ecuador facts for yourself?

Several facts on this list are places you can visit in a day from Quito. The Old Town, one of those first UNESCO sites, is right outside our door, and our free walking tour covers its plazas, churches and a traditional market with a chocolate tasting. The Mitad del Mundo monument is about 45 minutes to an hour north of the city, with an adult ticket of $5 on the official site. Chimborazo is a long day trip south, and the Galápagos need at least five days to do well.

Related guides

• Mitad del Mundo: the history and the monuments
• Things to do in Quito
• Ecuador itinerary for 7, 10 or 14 days
• Galápagos on a budget: real 2026 costs
• Ecuadorian street foods you must try

Plan it with us

Curious to see the equator, the Andes and the Galápagos for yourself? Visit us at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo in Quito, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or write to info@communitytravel.ec and our local guides will help you build the trip.

Frequently asked questions

Quick reference: Ecuador travel facts and figures 2026 · Ecuador travel glossary · About Community Adventures Ecuador

Het bericht Fun Facts About Ecuador: 18 Things Most Travelers Don’t Know verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.