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 Sixth-grade teacher Kim Coelho wanted to make learning about ancient Egyptians more hands on. So, she went to the Internet to learn more about mummification and the after life – two things that were very important to Ancient Egyptians.
After getting parent permission, Coelho and her students began making their own mummies. With gloves on, the students began the mummification process using frozen Cornish hens, which Coelho brought in from the grocery store. The first step was using a salt and baking soda mixture to dry the hens out.
Then, after about seven weeks, when the chickens were dry, students used oils and spices to prepare them for the after life, just as the Egyptians did centuries ago. The students then wrapped the hens in white linen cloths and decorated them with jewels. The mummies were placed in a student-decorated sarcophagus and then buried during a short Ancient Egyptian ceremony.
“This was one of the most memorable lessons that I have done in a long time,” said Coelho. “It is one thing to read that it was a long process, but it was another thing to actually complete the process with students.”
Coelho’s class is currently in the process of constructing a pyramid to place on top of the burial site. In June, Coelho plans to dig the mummies up to see how well they were preserved.
Photo caption: Chicken mummy wrapped in
a white linen cloth and decorated with jewels.
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