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Kabayan Mummification Process (New edits for this subheading in bold)
The process of Kayaban mummification is unique in that the internal organs are not removed from the corpse, as opposed to other traditions of mummification where internal organs are removed, such as Egyptian mummification. Smoking the dead is reportedly a practiced more recently by people in Papua New Guinea. This difference has helped generate public interest in the Fire Mummies in the form of tourism to Timbac Cave and various viral internet media on the topic. Under Presidential Decree No. 374., the mummy caves were named as Philippine National Cultural Treasures .

There is no written record of the Kabayan mummification process. However, a description of the process has been maintained in Ibaloi oral tradition, despite the cessation of Kayaban mummification occurring centuries ago. The introduction of Christianity is believed to have stopped the practice of mummification, as it goes against Christian beliefs '''. Despite this, some groups in the Cordillera region still practice the drying of dead bodies, but not the full mummification process .'''

'''Only the elite Ibaloi are mummified (elite class is called Kadangyan)  (Balangcod citation). The elite are people who owned vast expanses of land. The higher ranking the individual was within society, the longer the funerary practices and wake lasted before being put in their final resting place. Thus mummification is a prestige practice.'''

The mummification process begins with oral administration of a hypertonic saline solution, commonly known as salt water, to the dying tribe member. Ingestion of the saline solution acts as a saline laxative by shifting extracellular fluid into the intestinal lumen via osmosis. This laxative effect flushes remaining feces from the colon while causing dehydration which is necessary to the mummification process. Flushing the colon results in a substantial depletion of the gut flora, thus impairing the onset of internal tissue-destructive bacterial enzymatic processes. Furthermore, tissue dehydration helps impair tissue destruction caused by beneficial bacteria which have colonized the person throughout their life The process is identified as being parallel to the Egyptians who placed their corpses in a tub of salt to encourage dehydration.

After death, the corpse is cleansed and rubbed with herbs. Tobacco smoke is then blown into the mouth of the corpse to help dehydrate internal organs and prevent insect infestation. A small fire is lit beside the corpse to enhance dehydration and prevent insect infestation, as insects are a vital component of normal corpse decomposition. '''A fire is lit beneath the corpse to smoke it, while it sits on a death chair or sangadil. Guava branch smoke is preferred. The body fluids drain throughout the process, and are collected in a jar (Balangcod citation). The smoking process can last days to months to even a year, depending on how esteemed the person was before their death.'''

The corpse is then secured in Fowler's position, via ceremonial scarves or blankets, to a "death chair". Community elders then remove the epidermis. Finally, juice from the leaves of native plants is applied to the freshly exposed dermis.

Following completion of the mummification ritual, the corpse is placed in a wooden coffin in the fetal position, sometimes placed in the same coffin as family members, which is buried in a cave. The corpse will then mummify over the course of months or years'''(Balangcod citation). Those who look for them are till are able to find century old mummies with intact body parts, tattoos, etc., which means the means of preservation were very effective'''

Tattooing
Mummification in the Philippines provides evidence of tattoo practices in several regions of the Philippines. Many groups of the Igorot in the Cordillera region on the island of Luzon practiced tattooing for centuries. The Central Mountain Provincial Igorots used soot from the bottom of ollas (clay pots) as tattoo pigment.

One method of tattooing used was the ‘puncture/cut and smear’ method, utilized by the Bontoc Igorot people. The bu-ma-fa’-tek (tattooist) would first draw the pattern on the skin with an ink of soot and water, and then prick the skin with a cha-kay’-yum, and lastly, scatter soot into the open skin and manually work the pigment into the skin with their hands.

The Ibaloi tribe of the Benguet province in Luzon is known for the tattooing found on its artificially mummified bodies. These tattoos include symmetric lined designs that represent elements such as earth and water and cover most of the body. Colors of these tattoos include blue-black as well as tattoos with red pigment.

Herbs and Plants
In Kabayan, plants were used to preserve and smoke the bodies of the dead, but were usually passed down as folklore rather than scientific research. Guava leaves were used to wash the body. Besudak, or embelia Philippinensis has similar properties to vinegar to help preserve meat, and thus in death embalming was used as an extract form to prevent decay. Patani (Phaseolus Lunatus) and diwdiw (Ficus Nota) are antibacterial plants that are also placed around the body before the smoking period, in which guava leaves are kindled to help stop decay and maggots, as well as dry out the body. Tobacco is puffed into the deceased to preserve their organs, though this may be a newer idea after Spanish colonialism around 1500. Since the organs are not removed like in the case of the Egyptians, the dead body is made to ingest a saline solution to dehydrate the body, much like the tobacco smoke.

Death Rituals
In Kabayan, death rituals were more or less extensive in formality and duration based on the amount of wealth one had– the rich had a longer ceremony that involved more sacrifice than the poor, particularly the number of animals that were butchered, because they would continue sacrificing animals until there were no more. There are songs called tayaw and dances called bad-iw that are dedicated to the deceased as a way of helping them get to the next life, including flying imagery as a metaphor for the dead spirit soaring away. To visit the rock shelter graves, there must be approval from the ancestors, which comes through various rituals of sacrifice. People wear cultural clothing, drink red-rice wine, and sacrifice three pigs, whose organs are then consulted by a mambunong, or a shaman to ask the ancestors if they are allowed to visit the deceased. If allowed, usually a large group of the community goes as a way to support the loved ones of the deceased. The body is not allowed to leave the cave to avoid disrespecting the ancestors, but animals including chickens are sacrificed at the entrance of the cave, as well as betel nuts, matches, and red-rice wine; all while singing a cultural song for the dead, called angba.