Fire Mummies

16.55120.75Koordinaten: 16 ° 33 'N, 120 ° 45 ' E

Kabayan mummies are labeled according to their location in the municipality of Kabayan in Benguet Province, Philippines. Kabayan is regarded as a center of Ibaloi culture, traces of which can be traced back to the pre-colonial era to far. A sociological peculiarity of historical Ibaloi culture is the mummification selected and socially significant dignitaries.

In the mummification process, carried out the Ibaloi, it was an active method to make mummies. This method is referred to as fire - mummification. The preparations were initiated for mummification, shortly before the death of the person concerned by the affected strongly zuführte salt and alkali -containing beverages. After the death of the deceased was placed in a sitting posture over a fire, which had a low to medium intensity, until the body was completely dehydiert by the heat treatment. This process could take up to two years. The end of the treatment, the old skin layers were removed and the body embalming with plant extracts, in addition to the body of a tobacco smoke intensive treatment was subjected. This type of mummification was carried out from 10th to 16th century and is regarded worldwide as a second example of an active mummification of the dead, which was carried out with a different technique than the mummification in Ancient Egypt.

The mummies were then buried in wooden coffins, the one aufbahrte in man-made and natural caves. These caves are the Ibaloi as hallowed ground and lie near the Mount Pulag National Park. The burial places of the Kabayan mummies are since 2006 on the suggestion list of the Philippines for inclusion in the World Heritage List of UNESCO and are considered national heritage of the Philippines.