Did you know?
Egyptian mummies were dried with a natural salt
Natron, a salt mixture harvested from dry lake beds such as Egypt's Wadi El Natrun, soaks up water, so embalmers used it to dry bodies. The name survives in chemistry: sodium's symbol, Na, comes from natrium, a name derived from natron.
Read the full story: Salt (chemistry)
More salt facts
Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). Egyptian mummies were dried with a natural salt. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/natron-mummies
“Egyptian mummies were dried with a natural salt.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/natron-mummies. Accessed [today's date].
“Egyptian mummies were dried with a natural salt.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/natron-mummies.
Original sources
- Wikipedia. Natron. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natron
- Wikipedia. Sodium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium