Remembering the ancestors. The mummy of the chief

Baliem Valley, in Papua Province - the western part of New Guinea

Tradition among the Papuan Dani people, who live in the Baliem Valley, requires that the body of the deceased is cremated after death. Wood for the funeral pyre is sold at special markets. The ashes of the pyre are then usually buried in the house's rear courtyard. People believe the souls of the deceased can help their living descendants. However, there are special cases in which the bodies are not cremated, but mummified. The process involves drying the corpse with smoke, placed in a sitting position over a bed of hot coals. This kind of 'drying' process can go on for several months. In some villages, mummies are kept like this for years, honoured with signs of affection, and given offerings. They also show them to tourists, as a way of collecting money.

The sole emotion evoked by the loss of a close relative in Papua is grief. By tradition, a widow or daughter should cut off a section of her finger. Special sharp rocks are used for this procedure. Some old women only have the upper sections of their fingers left.