BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP
Ancient practices like the mummification of the dead are very well known nowadays. Most famously, the Egyptians used a mummification technique that produced the overused stereotype of a dead body wrapped in gauzy fabric. The Philippines' mummified remains were found in various caves. This sort of mummy is called a fire mummy.
The fire mummies are human remains that have been preserved through a protracted dehydration and smoking process. They were discovered in caverns near the town of Kabayan, in the Benguet province of the Philippines. Researchers now have a better understanding of the tribal people that used these mummification techniques as well as a unique mummification procedure thanks to these well-preserved bones.
The Ibaloi mummies, Benguet mummies, and Fire mummies are other names for the Kabayan mummies. Several caves in the region, including Timbak, Bangao, Tenongchol, Naapay, and Opdas, contained them.
Although smoking is not a typical method of mummification and is a highly time-consuming process, it has been used to successfully preserve countless bodies over the years. The Ibaloi tribe is thought to have produced the Kabayan mummies somewhere between 1200 and 1500 A.D., according to scientists. There is disagreement over the time frame because some experts think mummification dates back thousands of years. There is disagreement over when the practice first started, but everyone agrees that it stopped in the 1500s. The practice of smoking mummification was abandoned once the Spanish colonized the Philippines.
Some people hold the view that only tribal chieftains were smoked into submission. It was rumored that the unusual mummification process actually started before death, with a person taking part in the earliest steps.
The person would consume something with a very high salt content as death got closer. This first step was employed to begin the drying process before death because it is known that drinking saltwater dehydrates the body. The remaining steps in the mummification process would occur after the person died. This process is thought to have taken anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to finish.
After a thorough cleaning, the body was seated and put over a heat source. The body remained suspended above the burning kindling, away from any actual flames or fire. The heat and smoke would slowly and totally dry the body instead of burning it. By blowing tobacco smoke into the deceased's mouth, a ritualistic process of internal drying was accelerated. This was believed to aid in draining the internal organs of all fluid.
Herbs were then used to rub down the burnt body. The body was placed in one of the caves when mummification was finished, where it was finally found.
The Kabayan mummies are still housed in the caves where they were discovered. Despite the caverns' remote location, vandalism and theft remain serious threats, and as a result, Monument Watch has listed the region as one of the 100 Most Endangered Places in the world. It is also being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The early 1900s saw the theft of one notable mummy from the caves, known as Apo Annu. Apo Annu was seated in a squatting stance and wearing attire that belonged to a tribal chief. Intricately crafted tattoos covered his mummified body. Apo Annu was regarded as a renowned hunter and was said to be a hybrid of a human and a deity. Apo Annu was eventually given back to the Ibaloi tribe. Since they believed that Apo Annu's absence was to blame for numerous natural calamities, including as earthquakes, droughts, sickness, and poor harvests, they fervently wished for his return.
The Ibaloi reburied the mummy after Apo Annu's reappearance in an effort to right the balance that his disappearance had upset. Even if there are still a number of stolen Kabayan mummies that have not yet been returned, Apo Annu's return indicates a willingness to keep the mummies in their proper resting places.
The Kabayan mummies, which have survived for millennia, may be in danger of disappearing and being destroyed due to theft and vandalism. The mummies and the caves may be shielded from further looting and damage by designating the Kabayan caves as a protected site and keeping some of the mummies' whereabouts a secret.
The Kabayan mummies are an impressive illustration of the creativity of the prehistoric Ibaloi tribe and the painfully time-consuming procedures they would go through to care for their dead. The Ibaloi tribe still regards these as sacred burial places.
Ideally, ongoing safeguards will enable the finding of additional details regarding the historic Ibaloi people and the distinctive fire mummies while safeguarding the holy remains and the locations where they were discovered.
