Students will begin to notice the salt hardening around the fruit as the salt begins to absorb the fruit's moisture. The dehydration effects will be more dramatic if they wait until 4 weeks. After all, the ancient Egyptian embalmers waited approximately six weeks for their mummies to dry out. Freezing objects is another method of mummification. Many people and thousands of animals have been found preserved in frozen regions.
Students can experiment with putting objects in the freezer.
Exploring Decomposition . While studying mummification, students may be interested in looking at the process of decomposition. During the mummification experiment, student could put objects in a sealed ziploc bag and compare the results. This is a good activity if you are completing these lessons during dry seasons. Your classroom may not have enough humidity to decompose the fruit that is left out in the air as a control.