You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
activity sheet<br />
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY SHEET 9<br />
Mummy, mummy! Where is my mummy?<br />
<strong>Auckland</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Te Papa Whakahiku<br />
Sharing <strong>the</strong> Past<br />
Have you ever wondered why every time you eat salty foods you get thirsty? The answer is simple. Salt<br />
is a desiccant- it helps remove water from things, including human bodies. That is why, when Egyptians<br />
needed to preserve <strong>the</strong>ir dead for <strong>the</strong> Afterlife, <strong>the</strong>y used a salt called Natron to dry <strong>the</strong> body out.<br />
Their religion included belief in many gods. Each god was represented by an animal on earth. You<br />
can try this process out yourself by mummifying a chicken (to represent an Ibis) or, if you are a bit<br />
squeamish, try it on an apple. The advantage of <strong>the</strong> apple mummy is that you can do this in groups<br />
and it only takes a week, but <strong>the</strong> advantage of using a chicken is that you follow <strong>the</strong> process more<br />
realistically, rubbing oils and spices into <strong>the</strong> skin and even wrapping it in bandages. (You can even<br />
have ceremonies and make it a bird shaped coffin).<br />
FOR THE APPLE MUMMY<br />
Materials:<br />
2 fresh apples<br />
large box of table salt<br />
large box of Epsom salts<br />
large box of baking soda<br />
knife<br />
8 plastic cups<br />
measuring cup<br />
large mixing bowl<br />
permanent marker<br />
roll of masking tape<br />
sensitive food scales<br />
piece of graph paper & pencil<br />
1. Peel and slice <strong>the</strong> apples into quarters so you end up with 8 pieces. Using <strong>the</strong> tape label each cup<br />
with "Starting Weight' and a number from 1 to 8. Then weigh each apple slice and record its weight<br />
on its numbered cup.<br />
2. Add exactly ½ cup baking soda to cup 1. Cover <strong>the</strong> apple completely. Then write "baking soda<br />
only" on its label. Fill cup 2 with ½ cup Epsom salts and label. Fill cup 3 with ½ cup table salt and<br />
label it.<br />
3. Repeat <strong>the</strong> procedure for cups 4 to 6 using a 50:50 mix of Epsom/table salt in cup 4, table salt/baking<br />
soda for cup 5, and baking soda/Epsom salts for cup 6. Make sure you label each correctly.<br />
4. In cup 7 mix 1/3 baking soda,1/3 Epsom salts & 1/3 table salt. Leave cup 8 alone as a control.<br />
Place <strong>the</strong> cups on a shelf out of direct sunlight and let <strong>the</strong>m sit for 7 days. Then take out each slice (one<br />
at a time so you don't mix <strong>the</strong>m up) brush off <strong>the</strong> salt, weigh, and record new weight on <strong>the</strong> cup. Do not<br />
rinse <strong>the</strong>m in water or <strong>the</strong>y will rehydrate! Subtract end weight from starting weight & record.<br />
Questions: Which apple piece had lost <strong>the</strong> most moisture? Which compound was <strong>the</strong> best at mummifying<br />
your apple? Would you have achieved <strong>the</strong> same, better or worse results if you had not peeled it or<br />
left it whole? What was <strong>the</strong> point of leaving one piece with no salt at all? Where did <strong>the</strong> moisture go?<br />
Can you confirm this? Try to find out about preserving food by pickling, drying salting and smoking.<br />
N.B. It is always a good idea to try out experiments before you let students loose on this. Be warned<br />
that <strong>the</strong> chicken mummy is quite odiferous until it is completely dried. You may wish to use knowledge<br />
Activity Sheet<br />
38
Change language