Is the Shrunken Head in "Wise Blood 1979" Film Real? Skull-Less Human Head Made of Hair and Skin

Was the shrunken head in "Wise Blood 1979" film real? How did anyone reduce the size of anyone's head is a mystery.

Is the shrunken head in "Wise Blood 1979" film actual or not

Tsantsas, or shrunken heads, were often used for ritual and cultural purposes by certain Ecuadorian and Peruvian Indigenous groups, reported Sputnik News. When in the US Air Force during 1942, Mercer University biologist Jim Harrison obtained a tsantsa that later appeared on John Houston's 1979 movie "Wise Blood."

Mercy University scientists conducted a study verifying that the tsantsa used in the movie was made of human remains like hair and skin. The scientists undertook the project to get the artifact verified and brought it to Ecuador, where it was found.

These Jivaroan peoples of the Amazon rainforest, including the Shuar, Achuar, Awajn/Aguaruna, Wamps/Huambisa, and Candoshi-Shampra (SAAWC), were documented to prepared shrunken heads.

A restricted sample size of actual human DNA has been mentioned as a constraint; nevertheless, the Ecuadorian government has accepted the findings. The scientists utilized a computerized tomography (CT) imaging system to analyze the tsantsa and reconstruct complex 3D images, enhancing and differentiating different sewing patterns and skin characteristics.

Based on an NBC News report, the tsantsa was sent back to the Ecuadorian Consulate in Atlanta in June 2019, though it is unknown if it was returned to Ecuador.

"We wanted it to be seen by people who could understand it in the right context," says Adam Kiefer, a chemist at Mercer University and is one of the study's co-authors, noted Yahoo News. The shrunken head in "Wise Blood 1979" film, real or not, depends on its analysis.

"This isn't an exception - this is someone's body, someone's history, and it isn't ours," he said. "From our perspective, repatriation was critical, and we were grateful that our university supported us on this."

The scientists who were involved explains the benefits of the research, which could lead to a 3D-printed version of the head. "Precious artifacts could be returned while still being kept as a volumetric replica for collection purposes," the study revealed.

Another study researcher, Craig D. Byron, informed the outlet that he was grateful the tsantsa was certified so it could be returned, claiming they "had no business" possessing it.

"Getting the specimen out of our possession is a relief," he said. "It had a 'underground' value; it is illegal to trade or sell; it was a person's head skin."

The ceremonial tsantsas are assumed to have originated as a means of resolving family matters, intending to keep a spirit and reallocate its power to the triumphant warrior's kin as the general belief.

The tsantsa was initially stored before being used in the film, according to the source. Damage is caused during processing, such as affixing the head onto the fake body, mentioned to the researchers. The shrunken is seen in many sequences in the film, filmed in Macon, Georgia, near the Mercer University campus.

Now is the shrunken head in "Wise Blood 1979" film real? It deserves to be set back to its country of origin because it belongs there.