Dehydration of Tissue by Natron
Ellie Fuelling and Ibad Jafri
2011-2012
Introduction
With the first mummy dating back to 3400 BC,
mummification has long been an effective
process for preservation. There have been
accounts of “Wet Mummies,” mummies
preserved in water such as a mummy from the
Ming Dynasty preserved in a flooded coffin
(Than), but most accounts tell of mummies
treated with salts and oils and then wrapped
in linen. This lab explored the mummification
process used in ancient Egypt to preserve
royalty and whether tissue preserved in a
solution can be as effective and efficient as
tissue preserved in dry conditions. It is
predicted that natron as a solid will be more
effective than a natron solution at drawing out
water and leaving the meat with more mass. It
is also predicted that a mixture of NaCl and
natron will not be as effective because in the
Manchester study, mice dried in 60% NaCl
and 40% natron lost 61% of their body weight
while mice in natron lost, on average, 63% o
their body weight.
Abstract
Discussion
Lab 18: Dehydration of tissue in solid and liquid natron and salt
compounds: The purpose of this lab was to discern between multiple methods of
dehydration – natron & salt powder, natron solution and natron powder – and arrive
at a reasonable conclusion as to which method was the most effective at drying
samples of lamb meat. To judge the efficacy of each method, each trial saw pieces of
meat of equal masses placed in contrasting conditions and massed and measured
afterwards. The meat that had undergone the most profound change in mass and
dimension had been through the most effective means of dehydration. The
hypothesis seems to have been proved seeing as three pieces of meat between
masses of 1.97 g and 2.01 g finished their 5-day trials at varying masses while the
meat that undergone dehydration in a solid compound lost the most weight. On one
occasion, meat in solutions actually seemed to gain mass over the course of trial.
This is of great significance as such data can determine the most productive manner
in which an organism's corpse can be dehydrated or preserved.
Keywords: Osmosis, Hypertonic, Hypotonic, natron, dehydration
Results
5
4.5
4
A mummy from the Ming Dynasty was uncovered after being preserved in a flooded coffin,
showing how tissue can be preserved in an aqueous solution.
3.5
3
original (g)
2.5
Dried (g)
2
1.5
1
0.5
Methods
•Natron is made by combining 8.27g of sodium carbonate and 8.27g of Sodium
bicarbonate, with a total of 16.54g of natron.
•2 grams of lamb meat (sample 1) was put into a Petri dish and buried in natron. A
second sample of meat (Sample 2) was put into 100 mL of H20 mixed with
16.54g of natron.
•While they are being mummified, a second experiment will be performed. The same
dimensions of the same meat are measured.
•One piece is buried in a natron mixture, just like the previous time.
•A mixture of 60% sodium chloride and 40% natron is mixed. A piece of meat is
buried in the natron-salt mixture.
•Each piece of meat is left to dehydrate for 5 days.
Lamb meat, natron, and Petri dishes were the
materials used in this experiment.
0
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4
Sample 5
Sample 6
Sample 7
Sample 8
Analysis
Sample 1: Meat in Dry Natron for 5 days
Sample 2: Meat in Natron Solution for 5 days
Original (g)
2.01
2.06
Dried (g)
0.75
1.25 (0.76 after washing and drying)
Total weight loss
(g)
1.26
0.81 (1.30 after washing and drying)
Observations
Looked dark red and visibly shrunken
Not as shrunken, crystallized white around the
edges
Sample 3: Meat in Natron solution for 5 days
Sample 4: Meat in dry natron for 5 days
Original (g)
1.99
1.97
Dried (g)
1.30 (0.74 after washing and drying)
0.74
Total weight loss
(g)
0.69 (1.25 after washing and drying)
1.23
Observations
Looks similar to Sample 1, with dark reds and spots of
white muscle.
Looks similar to Sample 2 with a white
crystallized coating around the edges; meat
is light pink
Sample 5: Meat in dry natron
Sample 6: Meat in dry natron
Original (g)
2.51
2.48
Dried (g)
1.32
1.04
Total weight loss
(g)
1.19
1.44
It does not appear as dried as the other samples in dry natron
and also came out of the petri dish with excess natron coating
it, unlike samples 1 and 4.
It does not appear as dried as the other
samples in dry natron and also came out
of the Petri dish with excess natron
coating it, unlike samples 1 and 4.
Observations
•Originally unclear whether or not the hypothesis is proven
• Hypothesis expected that meat samples placed in solid natron would
dehydrate faster and more effectively than samples placed in a natron-water
solution
• Osmosis would take place more effectively and allow for transfer of fluid
from hypotonic meat to hypertonic natron when in direct contact with
simply natron
• Samples 1 and 2, weighed nearly the same – 2.01 and 2.06 g
• After 5-day trial: Sample 1, which was in solid natron, weighed 0.75 g
• Sample 2 weighed 2.44 g
•
After one extra day of being left to dry, Sample 2 was 1.26 g
•
After Sample 2 was washed of excess natron and dried, it ended at
0.76 g
• Both meats seemed to share virtually the same weight
•
However, Sample 2 had undergone a far longer process of drying
•
Also was probably not covered in enough natron to make a great
difference
• The hypothesis is confirmed
•The possibility of error is great
• Possible that excess natron made a more-than-negligible difference on
scale
• The meat that was placed in water seems to have undergone a
chemical change
•
White and powdery through and through after having been cut
•Significance:
• Possible that the same could happen to animal corpses meant to be dried in
a mummification-type setting
• Further studies will be taken to discover if meat underwent a chemical
change, and if so, how and why.
References
Than, K. (2011, March 10). Pictures: Lifelike wet mummy found during roadbuilding.
Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/pictures/110310wet-mummy-china-ming-science-mummies-tomb-chinese-road/David, A. R.
(1979). The Manchester Museum mummy project: multidisciplinary research on
ancient Egyptian mummified remains. Manchester, Eng.: Manchester Museum
Lamb meat. 2011. Photograph. 123rf.comWeb. 6 Mar 2012.
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/igors/igors0804/igors080400085/2941872-apiece-of-meat-lamb-isolated-on-the-white-background.jpg