Saturday, December 30, 2017

Of Fire & (Salt) Water: An Exploration of the Ibaloi Mummies


Figure 1: Ibaloi mummies

 
As we close out the year and enter into the next it is traditional in many cultures to look back onto the past and remember what has come to pass.  It seems appropriate to discuss the topic of the Ibaloi mummies (Figure 1), which were created throughout the mid-20th century.  The Ibaloi mummies are one of several different types of mummies that exist around the world, but very few people are aware of their existence and importance among Philippine groups.  This blog post will explore these topics by providing you with information concerning their creation and current status.

The Ibaloi mummies derive their name from the Ibaloi tribe that created them between 1200-1500 AD.  The Ibaloi still exist today, although they no longer practice this mortuary practice as it was abolished as the Spanish colonized the Philippines, but these mummies still hold a great deal of importance to the group today.  These mummies are also sometimes referred to by other names, including the Kabayan mummies (after the town where they were found), the Benguet mummies (after the province where they were found), and the Fire mummies (after the process of their creation).

These mummies, which are anthropogenic, or man-made, mummies, are unique in several respects.  As the environment where they were found is in no way conducive to spontaneous mummification the Ibaloi had to be creative and ingenious in their creation.  The process of mummification actually began prior to death.  A dying individual would drink large quantities of highly concentrated salt water for the purposes of hastening the drying out process of their body, a practice that probably also hastened their death since salt water would have caused dehydration.  After death the embalmers would seat the deceased individual over a hot fire for the purposes of drying out the body.  They would also blow tobacco smoke into the mouth of the deceased as a means of drying out the inside of the body.  This could take anywhere from several weeks to months.  Upon completion of the drying process the body would be put into the fetal position, placed in a pinewood coffin, and laid to rest in a man-made made cave.  As this practice began to recede due to Spanish influence the practice of digging out a cave was abandoned and the deceased individual were laid to rest in naturally occurring rock shelters or caves. Scholars estimate that there are approximately 200 man made caves in the area, but only 15 actually house Ibaloi mummies today. 

While the practice of mummifying the dead discontinued the importance of these mummies remains.  The local Ibaloi hold their ancestral dead, who were once esteemed leaders, in high regard and actively work with local scholars in preserving them and protecting them from theft and vandalism.  Fungal and insect infestations have been partially responsible for the destruction of several mummies, but theft has been a larger factor in their demise.  The Ibaloi see the loss of these mummies as a bad omen and attribute this to unfortunate events, such as droughts, crop failures, and earthquakes.  The Philippine government has passed several laws to protect these mummies, and the caves that house them are designated as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


References


MRREESE.  2015.  “Fire Mummies – The Smoked Human Remains of the Kabayan Caves.”  Ancient Origins.net


No Author.  No Date.  “Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves.”  UNESCO.
 

No Author.  2013.  “Ibaloi Mummy.”  Archaeology Magazine.
 

No Author.  2017.  “Kabayan Mummy Caves.”  World Monuments Fund.