Author: Harrison, Simon

Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Volume 12, Number 4, December 2006 , pp. 817-836(20)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

This article discusses the use of enemy body parts as war trophies, focusing on the collection of Japanese skulls as trophies by Allied servicemen in the Second World War, and on the treatment of these objects after the war. I argue that such human trophy-taking tends to occur in societies, including modern states, in which two conditions hold: the hunting of animals is an important component of male identity; and the human status of enemies is denied.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9655.2006.00365.x

Publication date: 2006-12-01

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