Wadi Natrun situated to the west of the Nile Delta, 75 kilometers (about l7 miles) northwest of Cairo. Wadi Natrun was one of the most important of the remnant lakes. It fills a narrow depression, some 60 kilometers (about l0 miles) long. with a varying number of small lakes that are Z3 meters (70 feet below sea level. The lakes are fed from the water table of the Nile. The area has been of considerable importance throughout Egyptian history as a major source of natron (a naturally occurring combination of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate), used in mummification, and soda (sodium oxide), used for glass manufacture. The natron occurs in solution in the lakes, forms a crust around the edges of the lakes, and is deposited on the bottoms. Natron was important in ancient Egyptian medicine, ritual. and crafts.
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Recent Posts:
· Wooden Box, cosmetic: Middle Kingdom
· Wounded Animal in a Hunting Scene: Tomb of Userhat...
· Writing Palette and Brushes of Princess Meketaten
· Lake Moeris (Lake Karun)