Philippines

Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves

WHS Score 0.0 Votes 0
The Ibaloi and Kankanay tribes of northern Philippines practice fire mummification ritual that dates back over 2000 years before Spanish colonization. The mummification process is long: starting with the dying person allowed drink saline liquid, then salts and herbs applied to the skin, and after death the body is smoked out with tobacco and fired to dryness before being placed in fetal position on a coffin and transferred to the burial caves – collectively known as Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves. Due to looting and illegal trade of the mummies in 20th century, only 50 - 80 caves with mummies are identified but their locations are now well protected and undisclosed.
>

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves (ID: 2070)
Country
Philippines
Status
Removed from tentative list 2006 Site history
History of Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves
Criteria
Links
All Links

No links available.

Community Information

Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
No connections… yet. Propose a connection.
News

No news.

Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 09/11/15.

Boj

Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves

Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves (Removed from tentative list)

Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves by Boj

The Kabayan town of Benguet Province in Northern Luzon boasts two possible UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Mt. Pulag National Park, and the Ibaloi fire mummy burial caves - the latter I visited early November 2015.

Five cave sites are open for viewing; I visited three - Opdas cave, Timbac cave and Tenongchol cave (pictured here). According to locals, many other burial caves are found all over the Kabayan valley - and I support the decision in keeping them secret. A number have been stolen and sold in the black market, and those in the five cave sites are in dire need of conservation.

The property was one of my choices for graduate thesis, proposing to study: "aspects determining the geographic locations of the burial sites, i.e., identity and social status of the mummy, surrounding landscape, access, elevation and orientation of cave entrance, and alternative locations for burial."

Keep reading 0 comments