There is still a sizable tribe in Indonesia’s uncharted regions that engage in cannibalism for ritualistic and ceremonial purposes. Twelve sub-ethnic groups make up the Asmat tribe, which has a total population of about 65,000.
The men in this cannibalistic tribe frequently hunt and kill their foes and consume their heads as part of ceremonies. Additionally, the skull is split in two and used as bowls. The head is prepared for the community by having the skin peeled off and baking it. They use the jaw and spine fragments of the humans they have killed as jewels to decorate their bodies as a sign of their manhood.
It is said that the Asmat tribe is extremely religious, which explains why they carry out such ludicrous rites. The head of the man is referred to as the fruit and they compare him to a tree. It is also thought that the Asmat tribe kills human adversaries to demonstrate their sexual prowess or kinship. They also think that when they murder and consume a man, the abilities and talents he developed are passed on to them.
The tribe is found in low-lying, marshy areas of Indonesian New Guinea that cover an area of around 25,000 square kilometres. The tribe gained notoriety amid allegations that Michael Rockefeller, the grandson of business mogul John D. Rockefeller, was killed by Asmat men.
In his book Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest For Primitive Art, American journalist Carl Hoffman made reference to the claim. The assertions, however, were never verified.
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