Shrunken heads, also known as Voodoo Heads, are the unique item for Necromancers in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. They do not offer as much in terms of defense as shields, but they usually have magic attributes.
Shrunken Heads can have 1-3 bonuses of +1-3 to Necromancer Skill Levels and can only be equipped by Necromancers. You normally hold Shrunken Heads like shields with a Wand, Dagger or another weapon. You cannot hold two Shrunken Heads at the same time on the same weapon tab.
In Diablo III, they return, but as Mojos, the Witch Doctor's class items. Necromancers wield Phylacteries instead.
Auto Mods
Auto Mods are mods that "automatically" show up on all versions of an item, whether it's magical, normal, damaged, or rare. One Auto Mod from a given group is chosen for the item based on a random number and the level of the item (and the requirements of the Auto Mod). Many Class-specific items contain Auto Mods while others contain spell/skill bonuses.
Necromancer Shrunken Head Auto Mods
Blight - 2-7 Poison Damage Over 3 Seconds (1)
Venom - 5-14 Poison Damage Over 3 Seconds (15)
Pestilence - 13-18 Poison Damage Over 4 Seconds (25)
Anthrax - 20-50 Poison Damage Over 4 Seconds (33)
Trivia
The majority of the heads are named after monsters in the game, suggesting that they may actually be the severed heads of said monsters.
Exceptional Shrunken Heads — Mummified Trophy • Fetish Trophy • Sexton Trophy • Cantor Trophy • Hierophant Trophy
Elite Shrunken Heads — Minion Skull • Hellspawn Skull • Overseer Skull • Succubus Skull • Bloodlord Skull
Diablo III: Barbarian Mighty Weapons (2-Handed) • Barbarian Belts • Crusader Flails (2-Handed) • Crusader Shields • Demon Hunter Cloaks • Demon Hunter Crossbows • Demon Hunter Quivers • Monk Fist Weapons • Monk Daibo • Monk Spirit Stones • Necromancer Phylacteries • Necromancer Scythes (2-Handed) • Witch Doctor Knives • Witch Doctor Mojo • Witch Doctor Masks • Wizard Hats • Wizard Sources • Wizard Wands