soap, saponification, Babylon, Ancient, alkali, oils, Ebers papyrus, Egyptians, Chinese, Zhou Dynas

The use of soap-like substances dates back to around 2800 BCE in Ancient Babylon

soap, saponification, Babylon, Ancient, alkali, oils, Ebers papyrus, Egyptians, Chinese, Zhou Dynas

To provide an extremely brief overview that does not do the saponification process justice: When fats or oils come into contact with an alkali, they are broken down into fatty acids and glycerine, which then combine with the sodium or potassium component of the alkali. Excavations in Ancient Babylon unearthed a soap-like material produced by a process consistent with this, namely boiling fats with ashes, according to accompanying inscriptions. Similarly, the Ebers papyrus, dated 1550 BCE, reveals that Ancient Egyptians washed with a mixture of animal and plant oils and alkaline salt, while the Chinese, during the Zhou Dynasty (c. 700-221 BCE), mixed plant ash with crushed seashells to produce an alkaline chemical used for staining.

Related Facts
grapefruit

Grapefruit may potentially aid in cancer prevention.

greece facts, facts about greece, greek islands, greek facts, facts about greeks, greece islands

Did you Know? Greece has 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

candle, candles, romans, wax

A WHOLE fish has been used to make candles.

comics facts, facts about comics, facts about marvel, facts about dc, facts about superheroes, fun f

Did you Know? Jeremy Renner Olympic Archers as a training partner

Wyoming

Wyoming is surrounded by six states.

Switzerland

Switzerland Has Nuclear War Plans

malaysia, malaysia facts, facts about malaysia, malaysian facts, facts about malaysians, malaysian c

Did you Know? Malaysia has the world’s oldest tropical rainforest

brazil facts, brazil dance, facts about brazil, all about brazil, brazil, brazil history, brazil sam

Did you Know? Brazil is Eclectic and Diverse

Tokyo

Tokyo has more neon signs than any other city in the world.

myanmar, pagodas, kingdom, pagan, buddhism, temples, burmese, burma

The Kingdom of Pagan in Myanmar

cloths facts, cloths fact, cloths decomposition, cloths recycle

Did you Know? Clothes can take up to 40 years to get decomposed.

cupcakes, cakes, cake facts. cupcake facts, cake fact, bleuberry vake, cheesecake, cake, muffin. muf

Did you Know? World record for birthday candles stands at over 70,000.

niacinamide

What exactly is niacinamide?

klecksography, inkblots, children game, nineteenth, century, rorschach, swissasylum, abstract, symme

There Is Still Disagreement About Whether The Test Works.

india, india facts, facts about india, amazing facts about india, facts about india

Did you Know? Dabbawallahs provide an astonishing number of lunches.

nevermind, nirvana, Sam Goody, Tower Records, Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, R

Geffen had low hopes for Nevermind.

netherlands, lowlands, europe, zuidplaspolder, vaalserberg hill, airport

One-third of the Netherlands is under sea level

hong kong, Special Administrative Region, Republic of China, China, one nation, two systems

The city has a well-developed mechanism for dealing with typhoons.

Smallest Country

The World's Smallest Country

andre leon talley, andre leon talley bio, andre leon talley met gala, andre leon talley about, andre

Why Does Andre Leon Talley Have Such an Impact on the Met Gala

greece facts, facts about greece, greek islands, greek facts, facts about greeks, greece islands

Did you Know? Apollo's Wrath is one of the Greek Mythology Facts.

constellations, night, sky, glowing, ancient, magnitude, sirius, mensa, visual, greek

Some Constellations Have Families

buddhist, emptiness, Marcel, Buddha, religious activities

Buddha wasn’t chubby

secret menu Netflix

There is a secret menu on Netflix.

Custard apple

Custard apple is a powerful antioxidant