Preparation: The family gather at the burial ground of their ancestor, located on a hill overlooking their village
The dig begins: Men, women and young children gather around the graveside as they start to exhume the bones
Past uncovered: The remains are wrapped in cloth upon burial in order to ease the ritual
Duty: The skeleton is carefully teased from its wrappings and placed to one side before it is washed
Sacred: The Karo Batak people of Indonesia perform the ritual as an act of love and respect for their deceased family members. They gently wash the bones with brushes before they are placed in the
In honour: Although it may appear a gruesome tradition to Western eyes, it is done purely out of respect to raise the status of an ancestor who has been buried a long time
Ritual: Family members perform the sacred exhumating and washing of a relative's body in Indonesia
Thorough job: The cleansing ceremony is done in a particular sequence which follows century-long traditions
Elder respect: These particular remains are of an ancestral grandfather and will be particularly revered among the Karo Batak tribe. Each part gets washed and dried - even the ancestor's fake teeth
According to tradition: After the cleansing, seen far right, the bones are dried on a towel before placed in the casket, left
After a cleaning and bathing with special water, the bones are ritually stacked in a crate and prayers are recited
Put to rest: When the bones have been placed in the wooden crate, a ritual concoction of herbs, lime, coconut water and spices is applied
Holy house: The 'geritan', or skull house, is build specifically for the ancestor and is located at the highest point of the hill which the Karo tribe believes gives the dead man power over the land
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