Fragrance of a mummy: Egyptian remains spread pleasant smell

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When hearing it sounds repulsive: the smell of a centuries -old body. However, researchers who followed their curiosity in the name of science found that well-preserved Egyptian mummies actually smell pleasantly.

astonishing results from research

"In films and books, terrible things are done with those who smell mummified bodies," said Cecilia Bembibre, director of research at the University of College London’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage. "We were surprised by the pleasure of the smells." The descriptions were from "woody", "seasoned" to "sweet" and sounded more like a wine tasting than after a smell test by Mummia. Floral grades were also recognized, which may come from the resins from pine and juniper, which were used in the embalming.

The study and its methodology

The chemical analyzes used on Thursday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and a panel of human "sniffers" to evaluate the smells of nine mummies that were up to 5,000 years old and either in

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The importance of fragrances in embalming

The fragrance played an important role in the embalming process, which used oils, growth and balm to preserve the body and its mind for life after death. This practice was largely reserved for the pharaohs and the upper class, whereby pleasant scents were associated with purity and difting beings, while bad smelling smells pointed out to spoilage and decay.

measurements without invasive interventions

Without taking the mummies themselves, researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure whether the aromas came from the archaeological objects, pesticides or other products that were used to preserve the remains, or from the decay due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms.

Surprising results for the preservation

"We were quite concerned that we could find signs of rotting bodies, which was not the case," said Matija Strlič, chemical professor at the University of Ljubljana. "We were specifically concerned that there could be indications of microbial decay, but that was not the case either. That means that the environmental conditions in this museum are actually pretty good with regard to the preservation."

keep the treasures of the ancient world

The use of technical instruments for measuring and quantification of air molecules that are given by sarcophagi to determine the condition without touching the mummies was like the Holy Grail, said Strlič. "It may show us the social layer of a mummy, and thus reveals a lot of information about the mummified body that are important not only for conservators, but also for curators and archaeologists."

perspectives for the future

Barbara Huber, postdoctoral at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Germany, which was not involved in the study, said the results provide decisive data that could receive or damage mummified remains. This information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations.

not everything is as it seems

"However, research also underlines a central challenge: the smells found today are not necessarily those from the time of mummification," warned Huber. "Over the course of thousands of years, evaporation, oxidation and even storage conditions have significantly changed the original fragrance profile."

a fragrance for eternity

Two years ago,

Huber wrote a study that analyzed residues from a container that contained mummified organs of a noble to identify the ingredients of embalming, their origin and what they reveal about trade routes. Then she worked with a perfumer to interpret the embalming fragrance called "fragrance of eternity" for an exhibition in the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark.

smells make it new

The researchers of the current study hope to do something similar by using their results to develop “odor scenarios” that artificially imitate the scents found and improve the experience for future museum visitors. "Museums were often referred to as white boxes in which you can read, see, and should perceive everything from a distance with the eyes," said Bembibre. "Watching the mummified body behind a glass showcase limits the experience because we cannot smell it. We do not learn in an experience -based way of mummification what a way is how we understand and interact with it."