Native Americans collected salt on sticks and carried the salt to areas where it was not readily available. They would place the sticks in a shallow lagoon in an upright position. When the salty ocean water evaporated, the salt crystallized on the sticks. The salted sticks were wrapped into bundles to trade.
They followed trade routes to inland ares and traded for such items as obsidian, which they used to make arrow heads.
What we did:
- Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into a small mixing bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup of table salt to the water and stir until dissolved.
- Continue adding small amounts of salt until no more will dissolve.
- Add bits of clay or wax to the bottom of a shallow bowl. Make sure it is thick enough to hold toothpicks in an upright position.
- Add your toothpicks in the clay/wax.
- Pour the saltwater solution over the toothpicks in the bowl.
- Continue to add water to the bowl until your solution covers the toothpicks by at least a 1/5.
- Set the bowl in a sunny window and check it each day.
