Did you know? Even the ancient Egyptians used science! Learn how they mummified their bodies with this easy experiment. They used science to preserve the bodies and now you can see how by mummifying an orange.

You will need:

• An orange
• Knife *to be use by an adult*
• Teaspoon
• Bowl
• Kitchen roll
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Bandages
• Safety pin

Method:

• *To be done by an adult* Make a cross shaped slit in the top of the orange using the knife.
• Use a teaspoon to scoop out the inside of the orange into a bowl. Make sure you do this over the bowl – it can get messy!
• Once all the insides are removed, stuff the orange with kitchen roll to absorb any juices left over. Keep replacing with new kitchen roll until the inside of the orange is dry, then remove the kitchen roll.
• Sprinkle a spoonful of cinnamon into the orange.
• In a cup, mix together enough salt and bicarbonate of soda to fill the orange, then spoon this mixture into the orange.
• Make sure the slit is pushed together fully, and then start to wrap the bandage around the orange. Tie a knot or secure the bandages with a safety pin when the orange is completely covered.

The science bit:

The ancient Egyptians used herbs and spices to keep the bodies fresh and to dry them out. They also removed the person’s insides and dried them out. Bacteria needs water to grow so if the bodies were dry, the bacteria couldn’t grow on them! After mummifying your orange, check it again in a few days!