People from many cultures have believed that human remains, particularly the head, could channel the spiritual power of the dead person. Çatalhöyük, a prehistoric site in modern Turkey dating between 7,500 and 5,700 BC, reveals the inhabitants’ special interest in the heads of their dead. Many bodies were buried beneath the houses with the heads removed. The heads were decorated and placed in special ritual buildings. Until recently many tribal societies practised head-hunting as a way of gaining power over their enemies. With the conversion to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries this practice was stopped in many areas. However, this did not prevent historic skulls from being proudly displayed, and belief in their power remains strong today.