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Mummification was practiced in the Philippines until the arrival of the Spanish. The caves containing the mummies were untouched until the 19th century. The heat and humidity of the islands made mummification difficult to perform in much of the Philippines. However, widespread practice of the mummification existed in Benguet and in the higher and cooler altitudes of the Cordilleras. Studying the mummies reveals information about the rituals, beliefs, and social structure of the tribes that practiced mummification. For instance, mummification was intended for leaders and individuals that are from the higher social ranks of the tribe. ==Fire Mummies of Kabayan== In Northern Luzon, mummification is prevalent in Cordillera, specifically in Benguet, Ifugao, and Mt Province. The most well known is the Fire Mummies in Kabayan, Benguet. There are over 200 remains located in Timbak cave and these were made by the Ibaloi tribe between 1200 CE and 1500 CE. The process of mummification makes the Fire Mummies unique and popular. Tribe members would administer salty water to the dying member.〔 Ingestion of the saline solution results in a shift in extracellular water into the intestinal lumen that triggers peristalsis. The laxative effect expels water and any remaining feces in the colon. This result in a substantial depletion of intestinal bacteria, delaying onset of tissue-destructive enzymatic processes. The process was identified as being parallel to the Egyptians who placed their corpse in a tub of salt to dehydrate the body. After death, the corpse will be cleansed, rubbed with herbs, and tobacco smoke was then smoked into the mouth of the corpse, with a low fire lit beside the body to enhance dehydration and prevent insect infestation. The body was positioned as though seated on a “death chair” and a scarf or blanket was used to secure the position. The epidermis are peeled off by the community elders and juice from the leaves of local plants were applied. The process would take from months to years then after that, the mummy would be placed in wood coffins and buried in caves. Due to the mummification process of the dead, features, such as the Tatars, were preserved excellently. Appo Annu, one of the mummies found, had remarkably preserved tattoo details. Studies on the tattoos have been done, and one suggestion was that aside from being a tribal leader, he must have been a hunter.〔 Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, from the University of the Philippines-Baguio, states that the patterns were “kin-based and had social and collective meanings among the Ibaloy”. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mummification in the Philippines」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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