1914.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 197 



DESCKIPTION OF A TSANTSA IN THE ETHNOLOGICAL COLLECTION OF THE 

 ACADEMY, WITH NOTES ON ANOTHER SPECIMEN. 



SY H. NEWELL WARDLE. 



The little mummified human heads, known by their native name 

 of tsantsa, and made by the Jibaro tribes dwelling in the eastern 

 Andean valleys around the head waters of the Amazon, have been 

 known to science for half a century, ^ yet the specimens are still 

 sufficiently rare for each to merit a full description. 



The Academy has recently received a fine tsantsa, as a gift from 

 Dr. Thomas Biddle (Plate VI). It was formerly in. the possession of 

 the Museum Umlauff of Hamburg, and bears the tag of that insti- 

 tution with the inscription, 



"h No. No. 826 



23182 Equador 



Jivaros." 



The head is in fine condition, the flesh being firm and hard, though 

 apparently not brittle. 



The skin is devoid of wrinkles, despite the excessive shrinkage it 

 has undergone. It shows that peculiar chocolate-brown tone 

 characteristic of the tsantsa, the portions in relief, such as lips, 

 nostrils, and zygoma, being highly polished and lighter in color, with 

 a distinctly reddish tinge. There are no traces of tattooing observ- 

 able. 



The measurements follow: 



m. 



Horizontal circumference 240 



Transverse supra-auricular curve 154 



Maximum antero-post. diameter (inion-glabella) 093 



Maximum occipito-labial diameter 115 



Maximum transverse diameter 048 



Total length of face 080 



Alaximum bizygomatic diameter 037 



The above measurements show that the Academy's specimen 



' Dr. Moreno-Maiz, Tete d'Indien jivaro (Perou oriental) conservee et momifice 

 par un procede particulier, avec quelques renseignements sur les Jivaros. Bulle- 

 tins de la Societe d'anthropologie de Paris, t. Ill, p. 185, 1862. 



