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The History of Salt Most people probably think of salt as simply a food seasoning found in salt-shakers the world over. Think again. Salt is an essential element in the diet of humans, animals, and even of many plants. It is one of the most effective and most widely-used food (and Egyptian mummy) preservative. Its industrial, medical and other uses are almost without number. It has even been the subject of the subject of music, art, and poetry; and is viewed with great historical interest all around the world. But first, what exactly is salt and how is it made? Throughout history there have been two main sources of salt: sea water and rock salt. Rock salt occurs in vast beds of sedimentary evaporite minerals that result from the drying up of enclosed lakes, playas, and seas. These salt beds may be up to 350 meters thick and often underlie broad areas. In the United States and Canada, extensive underground salt beds extend from the Appalachian basin of western New York through parts of Ontario and under much of the Michigan basin. Other deposits are in Ohio, Kansas, New Mexico, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. In the United Kingdom, underground beds are found in Cheshire and around Droitwich. Salzburg was named "the city of salt" for its mines. Salt is extracted from underground beds either by mining or by solution mining using water or brine. In solution mining the salt reaches the surface as brine, which is then turned into salt crystals by evaporation. These deposits are mined to produce the vast quantities of salt needed by every person on the planet. Good old evaporation, on the other hand, is the major process involved in producing salt from sea water. Brine (salt solution, i.e., sea water) is evaporated in a linked set of ponds until the solution in the last pond in the set is sufficiently concentrated. Salt crystallizes on the pond's bed or floor. In more temperate climates, brine is heated in large, shallow open pans. The brine is concentrated by the heat and crystals of salt soon start to form. The salt is then collected. In an alternative pan-based system, brine is evaporated under a partial vacuum. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s have a look at how salt has helped shape human history. From when it was first discovered, its useful qualities has made it a force all its own. It has started wars, built cities, and has even featured prominently in religion. Here’s what salt is really worth: * Roman soldiers were at certain times paid with salt. This is still evident in the English language as the word "salary" is derived from the Latin word salarium, which means payment in salt (Latin sal). The Roman Empire controlled the price of salt, increasing it to raise money for wars, or lowering it to be sure that the poorest citizens could easily afford this important part of the diet. * In the Old Testament, Mosaic Law called for salt to be added to all burnt animal sacrifices (Leviticus 2:13). In the New Testament, Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth." He added that if the salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing but to be trampled (Matthew 5:13). On another occasion according to the Gospels, Jesus commanded his followers to "have salt within them". * Salt created and destroyed empires. The salt mines of Poland helped its rulers establish a vast kingdom in the 1500s, but all of it was virtually destroyed when Germans brought in sea salt (to most of the world, considered superior to rock salt). Further south, Venice fought and won a war with Genoa over salt. However, Genoa sons Christopher Columbus and Giovanni Caboto would later destroy the Mediterranean trade by introducing the New World to the market. * During many wars in American history, salt has been a major factor in the outcome. In the Revolutionary War, the British used Tories to intercept the rebels' salt supply and destroy their ability to preserve food. During the War of 1812, salt brine was used to pay soldiers in the field, as the government was too poor to pay them with money. Before Lewis and Clark set out for the Louisiana Territory, President Jefferson spoke in his address to Congress about a mountain of salt supposed to lie near the Missouri River, which would have been of immense value. * Salt has also been such an important element of life that it has been the subject of many stories, fables, and folktales (such as "Salt on a Magpie's Tail" from Sweden) and is frequently referenced in fairy tales. Some cultures even ascribe magical powers to salt, saying it has the ability to drive away evil of attract good luck. Charles Dickens penned a Victorian era Ghost Story titled "To Be Taken With A Grain of Salt." Forty years later, author George Gissing's last book was "The Salt of the Earth." All in all, the innocuous looking, white granular substance we know today as "salt" (Sodium Chloride or NaCl to the chemistry-inclined) has historically been so essential to all life as to be of the utmost value. Whether in its own true state or in other, more complex forms such as a prime mover of economies, it truly has been worth its salt. The next time you pick that salt shaker up, think again.
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