Researchers Analyze the Shocking Smells of Historic Egyptian Mummies 

Right here’s a query you’ve in all probability by no means considered: What do Egyptian mummies scent like? 

A global staff of researchers has a shocking reply: woody, spicy, and candy (however when you’re inexplicably concerned with issues that scent like rotting our bodies, check out the corpse flower). As detailed in a examine printed at present within the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the researchers used standard scientific strategies along with skilled human “sniffers” to research the scents of historic Egyptian mummies. This artistic strategy sheds new mild on the long-lasting mummification course of and emphasizes the significance of olfactory heritage. 

“The scent of mummified our bodies has for years attracted important curiosity from specialists and most of the people, however no mixed chemical and perceptual scientific examine has been performed till now,” Matija Strlič, a chemist at College Faculty London (UCL) and lead writer on the examine, stated in a college assertion. “This ground-breaking analysis actually helps us higher plan conservation and perceive the traditional embalming supplies. It provides one other layer of knowledge to complement the museum exhibition of mummified our bodies.”

Although aromas are invisible to the human eye, they’re truly chemical molecules. Because of this, Strlič and his staff used gasoline chromatography (a way that measures elements in a pattern) and mass spectrometry (a method that identifies compounds) to research the chemical molecules emitted by 9 mummies within the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Additionally they employed skilled human “sniffers” (sure, that’s a factor) to explain the standard, depth, and pleasantness of the smells. 

Via the analyses, the researchers categorized whether or not the smells got here from the traditional mummification approach, trendy conservation merchandise or potential pesticide residues, and/or from the physique’s pure deterioration—all with fully non-invasive and non-destructive strategies. They finally described the scent as woody, spicy, and candy, which isn’t shocking, provided that myrrh, frankincense, and tree resins—corresponding to pine—had been generally used within the mummification course of. 

“New info was revealed by the smells, highlighting the significance of utilizing our senses to know the previous,” stated Cecilia Bembibre, a heritage scientist from UCL, who additionally participated within the examine. 

“To the traditional Egyptians, mummification was an necessary mortuary follow aimed toward preserving the physique and soul for the afterlife by an in depth ritual of embalming of the deceased utilizing oils, waxes and balms,” defined Ali Abdelhalim, director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, who co-authored the examine. “The follow advanced over time, and figuring out completely different methods and supplies used provides insights into the period, location and socioeconomic standing of the person being mummified.”

Particularly, nice odors had been linked with divinity and purity, whereas unhealthy smells signaled corruption and (maybe most precisely) decay, in accordance with the researchers. 

The staff’s strategy might encourage museums to entertain guests with odorous options corresponding to smellscapes. In truth, the researchers now plan to reconstruct the scent of historic mummified our bodies as a way to share this nontraditional strategy to finding out Egyptian mummies, in addition to spotlight an historic olfactory heritage.

So subsequent time you’re making an attempt to check one thing—strive smelling it!