“International” Shrunken Head From Ecuador Returns Home A ritualistic shrunken head from Ecuador that was made from the skull of a warrior in the tribal Amazon region found its way to a US museum and it has now been studied and recreated in 3D. The findings of a new study have determined that the shrunken head from Ecuador had served as a prop in a 1979 movie, but finally, the artifact has been returned to its country of origin. “Shrunken heads” is the collective term referring to specially prepared severed human heads that served as war trophies and in rituals in ancient Ecuador and Peru, where they were an important part of the indigenous economy.