It is a saline and soda lake that is 57 kilometers (35 mi) long and 22 kilometers (14 mi) wide, and mostly shallow, reaching depths typically no more than 3 meters (9.8 feet). The streets were repaved specifically for this event, and each pharaoh's shock-absorbent chariot was filled with a nitrogen mixture to protect from the elements.īut how did the Ancient Egyptians figure out their highly complex embalming and mummification technique to begin with? Most likely, Mother Nature was the teacher, starting with salt deposits in dry lake beds in Natron Valley, Wadi El Natrun, as Saltwork Consultations explains. Without it, its likely that the mummies in the sarcophagi would have wound up mere bones and hair. Lake Natron lies within the Arusha Region of northern Tanzania, near its border with Kenya. Dubbed The Pharaohs' Golden Parade, the mummies were transported in a multimillion dollar golden motorcade of lavish fanfare, horse-mounted guards, and attendants adorned in ancient garb. Brandt came upon the mummified bodies of birds and bats along the shores of Lake Natron unexpectedly. Other animals which inhabit this area are. As the BBC outlines, 22 pharaohs, arranged in order of reign, starting with Seqenenre Taa II and ending in Ramses IX, traveled seven kilometers across Cairo to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The lake is also home to endemic algae, invertebrates and even fish that can survive in the slightly less salty water. In April, 2021, this exact thing happened.

Animals mummified lake natron