BAGUIO, Philippines – The fire mummies of Kabayan town in Benguet are under threat. Despite having existed for generations, various environmental factors have caused their skin to become brittle and mold to begin to grow. The need for conservation and preservation is dire.
In September 2023, Fen Reyes, Camille Calanno, and Sarah Soltis – graduate students at the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation – arrived in the Philippines, anxious to start their “Preventive Conservation of the Kabayan Mummies” project to contribute to finding solutions to arrest or at least slow down the rate of the mummies’ decay.
Reyes, who is of Ibaloi ancestry, was fully aware of her position as a researcher and a member of the ethnolinguistic group. They had obtained permission to start the project from the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the government agency charged with advocating for the welfare of indigenous peoples. However, upon arriving in Kabayan, they also had to present their case to the community.
According to University of the Philippines-Baguio professor and Ibaloi Jimmy Fong, “the mëkhing (mummies) of Kabayan point to a rich cultural heritage. It means that Ibaloys have a view of life that includes the afterlife and shows they have sophisticated belief systems related to death and funerals.” He stressed that it is important to conserve and preserve the mummies because they are part of indigenous knowledge systems and practices.
The making of mëkhing
The practice of mummification dates back to 200 BC and involved several stages and techniques. These included a saltwater purge, smoking the body while seated on a death chair, peeling the epidermis, sun-drying, and applying plant extracts for preservation. Ultimately, the mummy, positioned in a fetal pose, was wrapped in funerary blankets, placed in a pinewood coffin, and transported to its final resting place in a rock shelter or cave in the mountains.
The entire process conducted within the rituals could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on various factors affecting dehydration.
As colonization crept in, Western beliefs and practices led to the gradual abandonment of mummification in the 1900s.
Mummy tourism began in the 1970s. After instances of looting, some caves were secured with metal gates, and at one point, a guard was appointed to deter further attempts.
Since then, industrialization and modernization have transformed the Kabayan landscape. The lush forests that once provided natural protection for the caves and the mummies nestled within them are no more.
Moving homes
Reyes grew up in Metro Manila but visited Baguio twice a year to spend time with her great-grandmother, Lilia Narvaez. Her family moved to Australia when she was 10, resulting in less time spent with Narvaez. The COVID-19 pandemic kept them away until Narvaez passed in 2022.
“I think that’s the way I wanted to connect with her, by looking into this aspect of my culture that I did not know much about,” Reyes admitted.
Reyes discovered that in the 1920s, the mummification process began for her great-great-grandmother Kong-eh, but it was halted when her relatives opted for a Catholic burial instead.
Filling in gaps
During their preliminary research on the threats to the mummies, they found that although previous studies had sounded the alarm about the mummies’ deterioration, environmental data was missing; therefore, clear and concrete solutions could not be proposed.
The group decided to harness available technology to monitor the environments of the mummies. With funding from the National Geographic Society and in collaboration with the National Museum of the Philippines-Kabayan (NMP), the team installed weatherproof data monitors at seven different sites.
They trekked mountain trails to reach each site. Once at a burial site, the team members paid their respects to the ancestors by introducing themselves and explaining their purpose. They also left offerings, such as gin.
Temperature and relative humidity data were recorded at 30-minute intervals, and every month, a member of the NMP-Kabayan team would visit each site, download the data via Bluetooth from outside the cave, then compile and send it to the team in Melbourne.
At the end of 10 months, the team had amassed a rich repository of information that could be used for practical solutions. Reyes said the community would benefit from more comprehensive data, and after presenting their findings in August 2024, the NMP and the local government agreed to engage in dialogue to develop effective solutions for addressing the conditions of the mummies and their shelters.
The Ibalois in Kabayan are aware of the issues surrounding the mummies’ deterioration. According to one elder, they have attempted indigenous methods of preservation, including assigning a caretaker, but these efforts have not been successful.
They also recognized the need for scientific intervention. The research project has helped fill the knowledge gap by providing scientific data that will guide sustainable, community-based responses.
The NMP said it will continue to monitor the data from the loggers, which they will compile and analyze moving forward.
For the community, Fong said, the research project “has rekindled local interest in the management and preservation of their cultural property.”
Meanwhile, Reyes, who is pursuing a PhD on community-led conservation actions, said she is determined to see the project through.
“I would like to go back and confer with the community to find practical solutions – while giving the respect that they deserve as sacred sites – to fix the environment of the mummies,” she said. – Rappler.com