Another stolen mummy returned to northern Philippine province
LA TRINIDAD, Philippines, Aug 05, 1999 (AP Worldstream via COMTEX) --
Philippine museum officials returned Thursday a centuries-old mummy to
a northern mountain province from which many mummified remains of
ancient tribesmen have been stolen.
The mummy, wrapped in a red blanket, was turned over in La Trinidad
town to Benguet Governor Raul Molintas.
After the turnover, tribal elders butchered a pig, chicken and a dog in
a ritual they said will help them determine where in Benguet the mummy
came from.
The mummy, estimated to be from 600 to 700 years old, is unusual
because it is in an upright position and could be the tallest among
Benguet mummies. Other mummies found there are usually in a sitting
position and are smaller.
Although the mummy has a remarkably intact face, with its wrinkles
still discernible, its chest and other parts have deteriorated, said
Orlando Abinion, a National Museum curator.
Abinion said the mummy was turned over to the museum last week by an
antique collector in Baguio, also in Benguet. Another Baguio antique
collector is expected to return another mummy soon.
''There is now a growing awareness among the people to return these
mummies,'' Abinion said.
The collectors did not say how they acquired the mummies but said they
decided to give them back after learning about the return of a
well-known mummy, Apo Annu, in May to a Benguet cave from where it was
stolen in 1918.
After Apo Annu was returned, officials appealed to Philippine and
foreign collectors to return other mummies stolen from Benguet.
The mummies were undisturbed for centuries until they were discovered
in the 1900s by loggers in the jungles of Benguet, about 230 kilometers
(145 miles) north of Manila.
Vandalism and theft became widespread in the 1970s. Last year, some of
the caves were included in a list of the 100 most endangered historical
sites by the World Monument Watch.
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