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Talking about mummies is definitely inseparable from Egypt. Yet, it turns out that Indonesia also has mummies, the mummy in Papua. 

Then what facts can we dig up about this mummy in Papua? Let’s examine one by one the unexpected facts about mummies in Papua below. 

Traditions of the 5 Tribes in Papua 

First, this mummies is a practice shared by five different Papuan tribes: the Mek in the Bintang Mountains, the Dani in the Baliem Valley, the Moni in Intan Jaya, the Yali in Kurima, and the Mee in Dogiyai.

Not the Corpse of Random People

The bodies that were mummified were not the bodies of random people. Generally, it is the body of a valued member of the tribe, such as the tribal chief, a warlord, or another important figure.

Using Pig as a Time Sign 

There were stages in preparing and handling the mummy. 

1. First, they will appoint a member of the tribe in charge of carrying out the mummification process. Then, they will prepare firewood and the honai as the place for mummification.  
2. The dead body must be smoked with wood as part of the mummy-making procedure.
3. Piglets that have just been born are prepared as a time marker prior to smoking.
4. The pigs are smoked from the time they are born until they have long teeth.
5. The tribe members who processed the mummies were bathed during ceremonies when the smoking was accomplished.
6. After that, they performed a mummification ritual in which they cut a pig, a traditional symbol of the time, and draped its tail around the mummy’s neck.
7. A gathering to burn stones marked the conclusion of the mummification operations. 

Put the Corpse on The Tree 

The Mek tribe put the corpse in the trees for one year so that the bodies were mummified naturally. The cold weather above the trees makes the bodies naturally preserved. After being mummified, the Mek people took the mummy down and put it in the cave.

There is Only One Female Mummy 

In general, what is mummified is the corpse of a man. But, there is a female mummy in Papua, which apparently was formed accidentally due to cold weather and was found in caves. There is only one female mummy, that’s the Yamen Silok mummy, in Kurima.

The Mummies in Papua are in a Sitting Position 

Maybe you are wondering why they are in a sitting position. The reason is that in prehistoric concepts, burial must in a sitting position is, like a baby in the womb. 

Mummy Names Vary 

There are 6 mummies in Papua; 4 in the Dani tribe, 1 in the Yali tribe, and 1 in the Moni tribe. Each tribe has its own name for its mummy. For example, the names of the Dani mummies in Wamena are the Kurulu, the Pumo, the Araboda, and the Jiwika mummy.

Mummy Treated Traditionally 

The people cared for the mummies only by smoking and smearing them with lard. They had never been given training in mummy care. Until now, no caretaker has been appointed by the government to look after and care for the mummy.

However, the mummies of the Dani tribe have been conserved by the Jayawijaya Regency Culture and Tourism Office and the Papua Archaeological Center since 2017.

Those are the facts about mummies in Papua. In order to protect the mummies, there are common things do there:

1. Tourists should be educated not to touch mummies, just take pictures.
2. The mummy must be placed in a dry place.
3. The mummy must be kept from insects, rats, and pets such as dogs.

The mummy placed in the honai must also be looked after properly so that it is not damaged if the honai is burned. Hopefully, this information about unexpected facts about mummies in Papua is useful.