this article from sky news (2015) tells an interesting yet disgusting story
‘Ancient Egyptian mummies smell “woody,” “spicy” and “sweet”‘
– researchers who took part in the new study
“Trained, human sniffers” and tools such as an electronic, artificial nose are used in the research to examine the scent of the nine egyptian mummified bodies.
They said smell was a key consideration for ancient Egyptians when it came to the mummification process, meaning that even after 5,000 years, conservators widely consider the aroma “pleasant” due to the use of resins and oils.
resins and oils
– pine
– cedar
– juniper
The findings, researchers said, which were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, show that smell can be used as a way of analysing the preserved bodies in a non-invasive way, but they also want to find a way to recreate the smells in museums to give visitors the full mummy experience.
The research was carried out by teams at the University College London (UCL) and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia in collaboration with conservators and curators at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The smell of mummified bodies has for years attracted significant interest from experts and the general public, but no combined chemical and perceptual scientific study has been conducted until now.
-Matija Strlic (Lead author professor)
It is stated that this research has shown ground-breaking results and can help people plan better conservations and deepen the understanding of ancient embalming materials. Adding another layer of extra data to enhance the museum’s exhibition of mummified bodies.
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