Cotu Tomb

The tribal family tombs are very interesting. The Cotu Tomb is built for organising the second funeral and is for rich and high-ranking people in the Cotu society. The coffin is excavated and put on a big, elaborately carved, tree trunk. Carvings of water buffalo heads, which are blackened with colour made from wood charcoal, brown tuber and sugarcane juice, represent a buffalo sacrifice in the funeral and are also symbols of property. Carved figures, such as iguanas, tring birds, fern leaves, atut leaves or sadly sitting figures are common decorations in Cotu tombs. Each tomb can contain 4 or 5 bodies from within a family. The family grows rice, corn, bananas or sugar cane around the tomb as gifts for the dead.