Lowcountry resident misses museum's shrunken heads

Several exhibits at the Charleston Museum interested Terry Leff when he was a child. He visited the museum about once a week in the 1950s, marveling at the old schoolhouse and the slice of a huge redwood tree.

But one exhibit was by far the most intriguing.

"I can still see those shrunken heads," Leff recently said.

Shrunken heads are a product of the Jivaro clan, a tribe of people in the Amazon who considered their enemies' heads trophies.

Leff can remember the four heads' sewn-up lips and eyes, and their creepy quality.

They were more than interesting; they were educational, "a fascinating view" of a certain culture and should still be available for others to see, said Leff, a destination planner for Charleston Tours.

So where did the shrunken heads go?

According to Martha Zierden, curator of historical archaeology at the Charleston Museum, the heads are in storage. They were taken off display in the early 1980s, as public opinion changed on what was appropriate, she said.

"Ethics and the way we perceive human remains have changed over the years," she said, citing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act as an example.

Passed in 1990, the law requires museums to share inventories of any American Indians' remains in their collections, and to return the remains to descendants upon request.

"It's no longer appropriate to display human remains of any type," Zierden said.

Museums around the world, including the Charleston Museum, showcase mummies.

King Tut's remains were made more visible two months ago in Egypt when they were placed in a clear glass case.

Shrunken heads also are on display at many museums, including The Science Museum in London and The Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, Fla.

Barry Myers, curator at The Lightner, said he understands how museum curators could be concerned about displaying shrunken heads, but thinks they can be displayed sensitively. "It is part of the Jivaro Indian culture, and we're just representing that," he said. The shrunken head at his museum "is interesting and people are always fascinated by it," he added. Leff blames Charleston's "political correctness" for the removal of the shrunken heads from the museum. He's disappointed he can't see the exhibit any more.

"If you grew up in Charleston," he said, "it's a part of your memories."

Reach Kristen Hankla at 937-5548 or khankla@postandcourier.com.