A brand new study has revealed what ancient Egyptian mummies smell like – and the outcomes might surprise you.
Researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana looked into details about mummification practices in the traditional civilisation and located that the bodies smelled ‘woody,’ ‘spicy’ and ‘sweet’.
This latest data offers clues concerning the materials utilized in mummification and the way practices and ingredients evolved, in addition to reveals details about how museums have subsequently conserved the stays.
Lead writer, Professor Matija Strlič explained: ‘The smell of mummified bodies has for years attracted significant interest from experts and most people, but no combined chemical and perceptual scientific study has been conducted until now.
‘This ground-breaking research really helps us higher plan conservation and understand the traditional embalming materials. It adds one other layer of information to complement the museum exhibition of mummified bodies.’
The researchers used a gas chromatograph to measure and discover the chemicals emitted by the bodies on display within the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
In addition they utilised a panel of ‘trained human sniffers’ to explain the smells based on three aspects – quality, intensity, and pleasantness.
From the methods used, researchers were capable of discover if the smells got here from the actual mummy, conservation products used, or moulds and bacteria which could have formed after the body’s deterioration.
It’s thought the brand new smell profiles of the mummies could allow museums to create ‘smell scapes’ to higher inform visitors concerning the history of objects and time periods.
In the longer term, a up to date reconstruction of the smell of ancient mummified bodies might be produced by the research team, which is able to enable audiences to experience this necessary aspect of ancient Egyptian heritage, and approach practices of embalming.
Co-author, Professor Ali Abdelhalim, director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, said: ‘To the traditional Egyptians, mummification was a very important mortuary practice aimed toward preserving the body and soul for the afterlife through an in depth ritual of embalming of the deceased using oils, waxes and balms.
‘The practice evolved over time, and identifying different techniques and materials used offers insights into the era, location and socioeconomic status of the person being mummified.’
Although the mummies are over 5,000 years old, those that have worked with them have described the scents as ‘nice’.
This may very well be on account of the resins and oils, equivalent to pine, cedar and juniper, and the usage of myrrh and frankincense to scent the bodies.
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