Fire Mummies- Kabayan Philippines

Photo Credit: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2070/

In my anthropology of death class we talked about mummies near the start of semester so I was bound to have to mention them in this blog at some point. In fact mummies is what really sold me on the field of anthropology in the first place when I was twelve-ish. In grade six we learnt about King Tut and Egyptian mummies and I was hooked. Now that I am in school and studying anthropology I am learning several different types and techniques of mummification that spreads cross culturally all over the World.  There are two types of mummification spontaneous mummification meaning it happened naturally and anthropogenic mummification, where there was the human intention and intervention in the mummification process.  Within these two types there are a plethora of different methods; ice mummies both intentional and unintentional, bog bodies, saltmen (discovered in the Chehrabad salt mines), and many more all over the world, Inca, Aztec, Australia, USA, etc. In this entry I will be looking at the fire mummies of the Philippines.

 

Fire Mummies of the Philippines are found in Kabayan in the municipality of Benguet Province. This municipality is recognized as a centre of Ibaloi Culture. Mummification of human remains began prior to the Spanish colonization and it is believed to have involved individuals of higher social status. According to a UNESCO article the process of mummification could take upwards of two years and incorporated using salt and herbs and placing the body under a fire to rid the body of fluid. I also learned in one account that individuals that knew they were going to die would drink a salty liquid that would start the process, however another article said that that process began once the individual was dead. Once the body dried the mummy was placed in the fetal position in a pine wood coffin and laid to rest in a man made cave. These graves remained untouched for hundreds of years until they were unfortunately uncovered in the 19^th century and horribly vandalized and looted ruining the integrity of the graves and the individuals.

 

            What I find so interesting about the ‘fire mummies’ is the process. It really makes sense to use fire, but it would have taken immense skill and knowledge. As stated in the articles I found this process was reserved for social elite, but I wonder whether the practice was also gendered?  There are several times where I wished I had a TARDIS of my own to go back in time and just simply observe, not touch or influence just observe the wonders of the world!

Photo credit:http://www.etravelpilipinas.com/tourism_news/explore-the-kabayan-mummies-cave-on-a-day-out-from-baguio.htm

Photo Credit:http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2070/

 

http://www.wmf.org/project/kabayan-mummy-caves