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A cabeça troféu Munduruku do Museu Antropológico da Universidade de Coimbra: análise do objecto e os seus desafios

2004; University of Coimbra; Linguagem: Inglês

2182-7982

Sheila Mendonça de Souza, M. Rosário Martins,

Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Human heads, including those used in funerary rituals or as war trophies have been the focus of academic interest for more than a century. In some large museums, mummified Munduruku heads were important components of Antropologia Portuguesa 20/21, 2003/2004: 155-181 156 Sheila Mendonca de Souza e Maria do Rosario Martins ethnographic collections, although most have never been studied in detail. At the Anthropological Museum at the University of Coimbra, there exists one such head, still in good condition, donated in 1855 by Jose Coelho da Gama e Abreu. This paper presents a detailed analysis, including radiological examination, of this rare specimen. Ethnographic reports on the Munduruku and their cultural practices, provide information about the way such heads were prepared, and this analysis provides empiric data on the probable ethnic provenience of the individual, his biological condition, and estimates of age and sex. Before the data could be interpreted, a number of challenges had to be overcome, owing to the incomplete nature of the information about the head. The study confirmes the importance of interdisciplinary and critical approaches with the final results contributing significantly to museology as well as anthropology.