Globalization in Egypt in a Historical Context: Berthollet and the Egyptian Natron

Abstract

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Egypt with armed forces numbering 54,000 warriors, which was accompanied by a party of about 150 civilian intellectuals – researchers, analysts, mathematicians, engineers, astronomers, doctors, chemists and other specialists – whose objective was to record the culture of Egypt. The result was an extensive series of writings and publications known as the Description de l'Égypte. Napoleon selected the famous French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet (1748–1822) to go with him as a logical advisor in the foremost of his far-flung campaigns. Once in Egypt and while visiting the Natron Lakes, a series of saltwater lakes carved from limestone, Berthollet made an observation that led to an important discovery. While exploring the shore of the lakes, Berthollet found deposits of Na2CO3, a result he found was surprising. Why did Berthollet find this result surprising, and therefore the way did it contribute to an important discovery? In the present paper, I answer this question by showing the extent to which Berthollet's research on the Natron salts of Egypt is highly valuable for theories of affinity in chemistry.