MeganW Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 if their pharaoh's body rotted instead of being salt-cured?? I assume it's obvious from the question that our chicken mummy is NOT doing well. I really don't understand - I have been truly vigilant about changing the salt twice a day. But it is definitely rotting horribly and is going to have to be disposed of. Somebody give me permission to not start over. I'm feeling obligated now, b/c I want the kids to see that it does work, but the thought of doing this again just makes me ill. Not as ill as the smell of the rotting chicken mummy, but ill none the less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Permission granted. We're not even attempting a chicken mummy when the time comes. I don't think we have the climate for it. Way too much humidity around here, even with the A/C running around the clock. We'll stick to mummifying a Ken doll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Why not mummify an apple instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Permission granted. We're not even attempting a chicken mummy when the time comes. I don't think we have the climate for it. Way too much humidity around here, even with the A/C running around the clock. We'll stick to mummifying a Ken doll. Ack- I didn't even think about the humidity? Has anyone successfully down this in Florida??? I do still want to attempt it but I can see the OP's dilemma. Why not mummify an apple instead? That sounds pretty do-able. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 I don't think we have the climate for it. Way too much humidity around here, even with the A/C running around the clock. Hmm - I hadn't thought about that. We are in the deep south, and the humidity is about 8000% every day. I wonder if that is what went wrong. (That would make me feel much better about totally failing with this project!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hmm - I hadn't thought about that. We are in the deep south, and the humidity is about 8000% every day. I wonder if that is what went wrong. (That would make me feel much better about totally failing with this project!) That's probably it. I'm in Florida, so we're at the 8000% figure too. :) I went on a dehydrating kick for a while, but had to stop because it took three times as long as what the instructions said to dry anything. I wonder about doing the project inside a refrigerator, kind of like how beef is dry-aged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 To answer your question, they would replace the rotten parts with wooden parts as stand-ins. Or, they would place a statue of themselves in the tomb as a stand-in. Maybe research it a bit and go with it. Make Egyptian statues. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugsMama Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 We had trouble with our chicken mummy too.... I need someone to give me permission to just throw the darn thing away! I'll validate you, if you validate me ;) I say, we tried, and we give the kids a good example how to not pout when something doesn't go as planned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Permission granted. (And keep in mind that my husband used a hair-dryer rather freely for the first couple of weeks to "help things along" the last time we tried it. We'll be trying it again starting in a couple weeks. But we used a cornish game hen. MUCH EASIER.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I think you're brave even to try the chicken mummy. The idea of it squicked me out to much to even attempt it. Pitch it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Toss it! You can turn it into a lesson about different climate conditions. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Toss it! You can turn it into a lesson about different climate conditions. :D :iagree: I'd just explain to the kids that this didn't go according to plan. Tell them you've thought about it and you think you figured out why, and see if they can figure it out, too (dry desert Egypt vs. humidity). Maybe you could do a follow-up experiment to test the hypothesis (to ease the blow of throwing the chicken out, plus to help them see that this really can make a huge difference). I've seen experiments about putting one piece of bread in a bag with nothing, one piece of bread in a bag with a Tbs of water, one piece of bread in the freezer, etc, etc. And then have them document the results over a period of time and see how the one at room temp with water rots/molds way faster because the organisms thrive with moisture. Just a thought. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 On a side note, DH is from Cairo, and it is extremely humid there in the summer... much worse than Florida that we're used to. It's not a year-round thing, but it's rough...especially as a/c is not as ubiquitous as here. I have no idea if that humidity holds in the Valley of the Kings, though. I'm thinking of holding off on the mummy until the winter, but come to think of it, an apple sounds like a great idea. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I'm thinking the Ancient Egyptians would have considered it a sign from the gods and overthrown the government. Let the create a new pharoah and come up with his name and history. They can do paintings of him (or her!) and come up with a new animal god to match the new pharoah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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