Shrunken heads were prepared and worn by the victor of a battle, believing the victims power would then be transferred to that victor. Popular in the mid-19th century, shrunken heads as collectible items became so popular that Europeans created replicas of shrunken heads from unclaimed bodies. Photos: TNS
Mummies are people, too.
That’s the underlying message of “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition”, which opened recently at the Orlando Science Center in Florida, the United States. Among the displays are dozens of mummified bodies – human and animal – which date back thousands of years. Although the first sight is an elaborate Egyptian sarcophagus, the golden casing most associated with mummies in pop culture, the exhibit includes specimens from around the world. Some are from the wrapped-tightly camp, created intentionally by their survivors. Others are more accidental, transformed into mummies by weather or extraordinary burial conditions.
