History of Salt
Back in a time thousands of years ago, where electricity, and gasoline, even indoor plumbing was not available salt was used in baking, cleaning, and in purifying. At one point in time thousands of years ago, salt was used as a form of money!
credit: DartmoorGiant
Salt has been used through out history as a form of preserving meats, in canning and in religious beliefs and in warding off evil spirits.
Salt mines were started in countries where salt was highly and readily available for export to growing areas, regions and countries where salt was not to be found. Salt is a staple of life, as it is found in every human, animal, and is needed for growth of life. Because of the high value of salt in the early historical times the routes the salt took from the mines to where it would be traded or sold became known as the salt routes.
Salt is also known as sodium chloride, and when you read the ingredients of processed or manufactured food you may see it simply as sodium.
The history of salt shows that the ancient Romans used salt as a payment, and the Phoenicians used salt as source for trade. In ancient times, Italy can be seen as a major player in the salt mining industry. Salt is also available from drying of the sea and ocean waters which is where some other regions first found their use of salt to be derived from.
The history of salt can be seen used in the bible, thousands of years ago, where it is shared and passed among those who eat together. Salt was also used in religious cultures for sacrifices. Salt was a force to keep evil spirits away.
Salt has been used to preserve foods, even before ice and cold were used to prolong the life of foods such as meats. Salt is used in modern times to add to the taste of foods as well as a preservative in many types of meats that we continue to rely upon. One use for salt in foods includes the use of salt in making beer.
The secret involved with the use of salt is that there are more nutrients and materials that make up salt than most realize. Salt is a combination of magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, bromine and other trace minerals as well. A feature of salt is that it combines to create an anti inflammatory that when you soak your body, it helps to control the pains associated with many types of arthritis and swelling in the body.
Salts from various portions of the world contain different amounts of minerals and nutrients. For example, salt from the Dead Sea includes particles of the mud from the sea. The mud from the Dead Sea includes effects that act like a relaxant, healing the skin, and also as a healer from bacterial infection. The combination of minerals and nutrients help to relieve itchy dry skin conditions.
So it would seem that salt is all around us, used in most everything that we do, and that we rely upon, it would only seem right that we continue to include the use of salt in our baths to nourish and replenish our bodies.
More History of Salt
For your continued reading enjoyment and understanding about the history and wide use of salt – we are including a few links of information to find more about salt mines.
- http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1850Wieliczka.html
- http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transylvania/Parajd/blog-455.html
- http://edition.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/07/18/polish.salt.mine/
History of salt and baths
The actual act of submersing your body into a tub of water is as old as history will allow you to see back into time. Even in a time when tubs, barrels and such were not in the home, people all over the world even in uncivilized areas, would cleanse the body in a lake, stream, river or in a puddle. Could you imagine bathing in a puddle?
Cleansing the body was needed to keep smells, infections and to rejuvenate the body for the continued sustaining of life. Today’s baths are a little different, yes we still bath to clean but now we also use the act of taking a bath to relax, rejuvenate and to refresh not only our bodies but minds as well.