- Indonesian customs officials stopped two shipments of human skulls from being posted to the Netherlands
- It was initially claimed that the skulls were synthetic, but an investigation found that they were human
- The 24 human skulls are thought to be historic artifacts, made by an indigenous population in Indonesia
Indonesian customs officials stopped smugglers from shipping two dozen human skulls from the paradise island of Bali to the Netherlands,
Two dispatches of a total of 24 elaborated human skulls were intercepted by border officials on two separate dates in January.
The skulls are believed to be culturally-significant artifacts from other parts of Indonesia, possibly from the islands of Papua or Borneo.
Caught: Indonesian customs officer displays seized human skulls during a press conference in Denpasar, Bali
Lost in the mail: Customs officers display some of the 24 human skulls, believed to be from Papua and Kalimantan, after they were stopped from being posted to the Netherlands
Intricate: Some of the human skulls have been given ‘faces’ of clay, while others are decorated with seashells and metal
They were labeled as manufactured from synthetic materials but found to be human after being examined by experts from the Balinese Cultural Heritage Conservation Center.
Customs official Ni Aniek said the skulls are probably from Papua, a Melanesian region that makes up easternmost Indonesia, and Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, home to indigenous Dayak peoples.
In the past, Dayak people were known as ‘headhunters’ and preserved the skulls of their victims, believing the head to be the source of life.
No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attempted smuggling of the skulls.
The Balinese Cultural Heritage Conservation Center has been taked with decide what to do with them.
Real deal: The skulls were labeled as manufactured from synthetic materials but an investigation found them to be human
Investigation: No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attempted smuggling of the skulls