Introduction to Human Trophy Taking: An Ancient and Widespread Practice
Abstract
The Amerindian practice of taking and displaying various human body parts as trophies has long held the imaginations of both the public and scholars alike. Sensationalized accounts of such practices recorded by various New World explorers frequently shocked OldWorld sensibilities and often served to reinforce Eurocentric notions of superiority over the indigenous “Other.” Rather than following this colonialist tradition of denigrating indigenous customs and belief systems, this book seeks to respectfully and dispassionately shed light on why such behaviors occurred in the Americas.
Publication Title
Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology
Recommended Citation
Chacon, R., & Dye, D. (2007). Introduction to Human Trophy Taking: An Ancient and Widespread Practice. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology, 5-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-48303-0_2
