Thou purifiest (thyself) Thot purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself) Set purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself) Horus purifies (himself). Five pellets of natron from Nekheb, Upper Egypt. To say four times: Thou hast purified thyself with natron, together with Horus (and) the Followers of Horus. That which the two harmonious gods (spit out) is smin. O N., thou shalt taste its taste in front of the sḥ-ntr-chapels. The ceremony required two kinds of natron, one sourced from northern (Lower) and one from southern (Upper) Egypt. The Pyramid Texts describe how natron pellets were used as funerary offerings in the rites for the deceased pharaoh, 'N'. Natron was added to castor oil to make a smokeless fuel, which allowed Egyptian artisans to paint elaborate artworks inside ancient tombs without staining them with soot. In some cultures, natron was thought to enhance spiritual safety for both the living and the dead. Moreover, when exposed to moisture, the carbonate in natron increases pH (raises alkalinity), which creates a hostile environment for bacteria. The mineral was used during mummification ceremonies in ancient Egypt because it absorbs water and behaves as a drying agent. It was also an ancient household insecticide, and was used for making leather as well as a bleach for clothing. Natron can be used to dry and preserve fish and meat. The mineral was mixed into early antiseptics for wounds and minor cuts. Undiluted, natron was a cleanser for the teeth and an early mouthwash. It softens water while removing oil and grease. Blended with oil, it was an early form of soap. Historical natron was harvested directly as a salt mixture from dry lake beds in ancient Egypt, and has been used for thousands of years as a cleaning product for both the home and body. Importance in antiquity A faience vase fabricated in part from natron, dating to the New Kingdom of Egypt (c. The modern chemical symbol for sodium, Na, is an abbreviation of that element's Neo-Latin name natrium, which was derived from natron. Natron refers to Wadi El Natrun or Natron Valley in Egypt, from which natron was mined by the ancient Egyptians for use in burial rites. This derives from the Ancient Egyptian word nṯrj. The English and German word natron is a French cognate derived from the Spanish natrón through Latin natrium and Greek nitron ( νίτρον). Natron deposits, Trou au Natron, Tibesti, Chad Etymology In modern mineralogy the term natron has come to mean only the sodium carbonate decahydrate (hydrated soda ash) that makes up most of the historical salt. Throughout history natron has had many practical applications that continue today in the wide range of modern uses of its constituent mineral components. Natron deposits are sometimes found in saline lake beds which arose in arid environments.

Natron is white to colourless when pure, varying to gray or yellow with impurities. Natron is a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate ( Na 2CO 3♱0H 2O, a kind of soda ash) and around 17% sodium bicarbonate (also called baking soda, NaHCO 3) along with small quantities of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. Natron deposits in the Era Kohor crater in the Tibesti Mountains, ChadĬolourless to white, greyish, yellowish colourless in transmitted light.Ĭrystalline, granular, and columnar crusts

Natron salt flats