Science Activities for 9-12
Mummification
What is a mummy?
A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or airlessness. Ancient Egyptians used chemicals—natural salts—to dry their corpses. Basically, when all moisture is removed from a corpse, it becomes a mummy. The Egyptians used Natron—a naturally-occurring desiccant. A desiccant is a substance that has a high affinity for water and is used as a drying agent.
What is Natron?
Natron is a white/colorless salt found in the Earth in various locations around the world, including Egypt. The Egyptians called it Natron because they found vast supplies of it in the Natron Valley's salt lakes. These lakes were linked to the Nile River via underground channels, but they were dry most of the year.
Natron is a hydrated sodium carbonate mineral with the formula Na2(CO3).10(H2O). Notice the elements in the formula: Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Sodium (Na), and Carbon (C).
When Natron comes in contact with moist materials, it acts as a drying agent, drawing the moisture out of the other material and into its own molecules.
As a mineral, Natron had many other uses in Ancient Egypt besides for mummification. Artists mixed Natron with other minerals and oils to make the color known as "Egyptian Blue" that appears in so many recovered artifacts. Natron was also used to make glass and ceramics and as a soldering agent for binding precious metals (especially gold) together. Mixed with oil, Natron became a kind of soap. Mixed into a paste, Natron was used as a toothpaste and mouthwash. When mixed with salt, Natron could be used to preserve fish and meat for future meals. In many ways, Natron was a vital ingredient of civilization in Ancient Egypt.
Natron is still mined and used today. One surprising use is in the preparation of Bavarian Pretzels! Dough is dipped in a Natron solution before baking to give the pretzels their distinctive flavor and brown color.
The 9-12 Think Like an Egyptian activity booklet includes instructions for making a simple mummy from an apple on the mummification page. View that page only or the entire activity booklet. Both documents are PDFs.
The 9-12 Links for Further Exploration also include ideas for making mummies in your classroom.