More than 60 years after Michael Rockefeller — heir to one of America's wealthiest families — mysteriously vanished off the coast of what is now known as Papua (formerly Dutch New Guinea), speculation still surrounds his disappearance.

At just 23 years old and fresh out of Harvard, Rockefeller traveled to the remote Asmat region to collect indigenous art for New York’s Museum of Primitive Art. The Asmat people were known for their exceptional woodcarving skills, creating intricate spirit masks and "bisj" poles. However, their cultural traditions also included headhunting and cannibalism, rooted in deep spiritual beliefs.

In 1961, while on an expedition with anthropologist René Wassing, their catamaran capsized. After clinging to the wreckage for over 24 hours with two local teenagers, Rockefeller attempted to swim to shore using empty gasoline cans as flotation. He was never seen again. Wassing was later rescued, and a two-week search failed to locate Rockefeller.

Author Carl Hoffman, who wrote Savage Harvest, investigated Rockefeller’s final days by examining archival documents and speaking with local villagers. His findings suggest that Rockefeller may have reached shore but was killed by members of the Asmat tribe, who then performed ritualistic ceremonies — allegedly to restore spiritual balance. Two Catholic priests had reported hearing these stories, but their accounts were never made public, allegedly kept secret by the Dutch government and shared only with the Vatican and the Rockefeller family.

Though theories of drowning or animal attack remain, the most persistent and sensational claim is that Rockefeller fell victim to a ritualistic killing by the Asmat. His fascination with the Asmat culture lives on through the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which features many of the artifacts he collected.

While the truth may never fully surface, Michael Rockefeller's legacy endures through his deep appreciation of indigenous cultures and the preserved art of the Asmat. His story continues to captivate and raise questions about cultural contact, colonialism, and the mysteries of the human experience.

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