A human skull in a hole of an old wooden coffin hung in a burial cave near Rantepao. Deceased are buried in caves that can be visited by future generations of the family.

Guests lining up to register for the funeral and bring their condolences.

Mourning crew at a funeral ceremony. Such crews can be hired for a funeral in Tana Toraja.

Coffin in a house waiting for the funeral. Bodies are usually kept in houses until the funeral ceremony starts. Wait can take up to several years.

A man is carrying bamboo scaffolding used to build temporary housing for a funeral ceremony in Madandan village, Tana Toraja.

Kids taking a group photo in front of the Tau Tau doll made for the deceased.

Baloons at a funeral ceremony in Madandan village, Tana Toraja.

A visitor wearing a mourning shawl at a funeral ceremony.

Men carrying a coffin of the deceased at a funeral ceremony in Londa, Tana Toraja. Coffins are carried at the beginning of the ceremony to entertain the deceased.

Men bringing coffin with the deceased to a platform where it is kept during the ceremony. Funerals usually last three days in Tana Toraja.

Priest conducting a prayer at a funeral ceremony in Tana Toraja.

Women singing christian songs at a funeral in Tana Toraja.

Man untying a buffalo at buffalo market in Bolu, Tana Toraja.

A buffalo that just has been purchased at the bulls market in Rantepao, Tana Toraja, Indonesia. Bulls are sold for funeral ceremonies where they are traditionally sacrificed.

Music crew drumming on a rice bowl at a funeral ceremony in Tana Toraja.

A man cutting throat of a buffalo at a funeral ceremony near Rantepao, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Ceremonial sacrifice of a buffalo is beleived to help the deceased to get faster to the land of the dead.

Men skinning a buffalo that just has been killed at a funeral ceremony near Rantepao, Tana Toraja, Indonesia.

Boy jumping over heads of buffalos that have been sacrificed at a funeral.

Boy holding a head of a buffalo sacrificed at a funeral in Mandanan village, Tana Toraja.

Pig waiting to be sacrificed at Londa village in Tana Toraja.

A pig in a cage prepared to be sacrificed at a funeral ceremony.

Albino buffalo at a funeral ceremony in Mandanan village, Tana Toraja. Albino buffalos are sacrificed for the most wealthy deceased and may cost up to tens of thousands US dollars.

People watching a bull fight in Tondon village, Tana Toraja.

Kids watching bull fight in Tondon village, Tana Toraja.

A bull is led to the bull fight arena in Tondon village, Tana Toraja.

Man putting a bet on a bull at the fight in Tondon village, Tana Toraja.

A man standing next to a megalith that is being transported to a megalith ground in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Megaliths are sometimes installed to commemorate death of wealthy people.

Wooden dolls "tau tau", in a cave at a burial site near Rantepao, Tana Toraja region in Sulawesi, Indonesia. These dolls are usually installed for wealthy deceased to support their social status.

Tau Tau in Suaya, burial site in Tana Toraja.

A body lying in a rotten coffin in a burial cave in Londa, Tana Toraja.

Coffins stacked in a burial cave in Londa, Tana Toraja.

Tongkonans at sunset in Tana Toraja. Tongkonans are traditional houses in the area with roofs resembling bull horns.