If you ever visit the  Menyama region, Papua New Guinea, you are likely to find these charred bodies on a cliff.

The first thing you might think to do is call the police, but it’s not a crime scene. This scene is actually part of a ritual. The bodies are called “smoked Aseki bodies” and are intentionally preserved by the Kuku Kuku tribe after being hanged and hung on the cliff.

The inhabitants of Menyama burn the body of their dead to ensure its preservation, as the smoke attracts moisture and creates antibacterial properties. In order to speed up the process, family members repeatedly stab the body to remove fluids. After that, the internal organs are removed through the anus, and then the body is put into boulders.”

Part of the bodies are positioned as if they are looking at the village through the mountains.

The tribe believes that the dead protect the village.

Only the warriors of the tribe are smoked and placed in the “watchers”. And only the sons of warriors can inherit the position.