Natural History, pp. What the Nubians ate. With the help of modern medical imagery and a supercomputer, an archaeologist probes an ancient mummy. Main Activity Salt of the Earth Discover how you can make your own mummy. The answer is simple.
Salt is a desiccant - it helps remove water from things, including human bodies.
In this activity, you will experiment with different salt compounds and discover which makes the best mummified apple. Materials 2 fresh apples large box of table salt large box of Epsom salts large box of baking soda knife eight 12-oz disposable plastic cups measuring cup large mixing bowl permanent marking pen roll of masking tape sensitive balance or food scale piece of graph paper and pencil Slice the two apples into quarters so that you have eight slices similar in size. Select one slice, weigh it, and record the weight on the outside of cup 1. Follow the same procedure with the other seven apple slices until each cup has been labeled with the appropriate starting weight. Make sure you label each cup.