Research finds ancient Egyptian mummies smell nice
At first whiff, it sounds repulsive: Sniff the essence of an ancient corpse.
But researchers who indulged their curiosity in the name of science found that well-preserved Egyptian mummies actually smell pretty good.
"In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies," said Cecilia Bembibre, director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage. "We were surprised at the pleasantness of them."
"Woody," "spicy" and "sweet" were the leading descriptions from what sounded more like a wine tasting than a mummy-sniffing exercise. Floral notes were also detected, which could be from pine and juniper resins used in embalming.
The study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society used both chemical analysis and a panel of human sniffers to evaluate the odors from nine mummies as old as 5,000 years that had been either in storage or on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The researchers wanted to systematically study the smell of mummies because it has long been a subject of fascination for the public and researchers alike, said Bembibre, one of the report's authors. Archaeologists, historians, conservators and even fiction writers have devoted pages of their work to the subject — for good reason.
Scent was an important consideration in the mummification process that used oils, waxes and balms to preserve the body and its spirit for the afterlife. The practice was largely reserved for pharaohs and nobility, and pleasant smells were associated with purity and deities, while bad odors were signs of corruption and decay.
Without sampling the mummies themselves, which would be invasive, researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure whether aromas were coming from the archaeological item, pesticides or other products used to conserve the remains, or from deterioration due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms.
"We were quite worried that we might find notes or hints of decaying bodies, which wasn't the case," said Matija Strlic, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana. "We were specifically worried that there might be indications of microbial degradation, but that was not the case, which means that the environment in this museum is actually quite good in terms of preservation."
Using technical instruments to measure and quantify air molecules emitted from sarcophagi to determine the state of preservation without touching the mummies "tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body that is relevant not just to conservators, but to curators and archeologists as well," Strlic said. "We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections."
Barbara Huber, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, who was not involved in the study, said the findings provide crucial data on compounds that could preserve or degrade mummified remains. The information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations.
"However, the research also underscores a key challenge: The smells detected today are not necessarily those from the time of mummification," Huber said. "Over thousands of years, evaporation, oxidation and even storage conditions have significantly altered the original scent profile."
Huber authored a study two years ago that analyzed residue from a jar that had contained mummified organs of a noblewoman to identify embalming ingredients, their origins and what they revealed about trade routes. She then worked with a perfumer to create an interpretation of the embalming scent, known as "Scent of Eternity," for an exhibition at the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark.
Researchers of the current study hope to do something similar, using their findings to develop "smellscapes" to artificially re-create the scents they detected and enhance the experience for future museumgoers.
"Museums have been called white cubes, where you are prompted to read, to see, to approach everything from a distance with your eyes," Bembibre said. "Observing the mummified bodies through a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them. We don't get to know about the mummification process in an experiential way, which is one of the ways that we understand and engage with the world."
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Voice of America
21-02-2025
- Voice of America
Researchers Use Chemical Examinations and Human Smell to Study Ancient Remains
A recent study about the smell of Egyptian mummies reached some surprising findings. The ancient bodies did not smell bad, the researchers found. Instead, they say, the remains mostly smelled good. Cecilia Bembibre is director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage. 'In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies,' she said. 'We were surprised at the pleasantness of them." The researchers reported the leading descriptions of the smells as 'woody,' 'spicy' and 'sweet.' They also reported a floral or flowery smell. That smell could be from pine and juniper resins used in mummification; a process designed to protect the body from decay. The study appeared recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It used both chemical examinations and several human smellers to study nine mummies. The mummies, some around 5,000 years old, had been housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Bembibre, one of the report's writers, said the researchers wanted to study the smell of mummies because it has long been a subject of interest for the public and researchers alike. She added that even fiction writers have written pages of work on the subject — for good reason. Scent, or smell, was an important consideration in the mummification process. This process used oils and plant-based materials to protect the body and its spirit for the afterlife. Mummification was largely used for powerful people such as pharaohs and other leaders. Pleasant smells were linked with purity and gods. Bad smells were signs of corruption and decay. Researchers did not want to directly measure the mummies, because doing so might be damaging. Instead, researchers were able to take measurements that did not involve touching the mummies. Researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure smells, pesticides, and other effects due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms. Using technical instruments to measure air molecules released from sarcophagi was very important, said Matija Strlič, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana. "It tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body...." he said. 'We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections.' Barbara Huber of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany was not involved in the study. Huber said the findings provide important data on compounds that could preserve or damage mummified remains. The information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations. Huber said that over thousands of years, differing conditions have changed the scents of the mummies in a major way. Huber wrote a study two years ago that examined a jar that had contained mummified organs of a woman. The goal was to identify the material used to preserve the organs and what that would show about ancient trade paths. Researchers of the current study hope to do something similar. They want to use their findings to develop 'smellscapes' to recreate the scents they discovered. They also want to change the experience for future museumgoers. Bembibre said museums generally ask visitors to experience everything with their eyes. She added that seeing mummies through 'a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them.' Smelling the scents of mummification would improve the museum visitors' experiences, she suggested, as smell is one of the ways that people understand the world. I'm John Russell. Brian Melley reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. _________________________________________________________ Words in This Story mummy – n. an ancient body treated for burial with preservatives resin – n. natural organic substances that are usually transparent or translucent and yellowish to brown in color and are often made from plant materials; they are also soluble in organic solvents but not in water, are electrical nonconductors, and are used to cover and protect surfaces decay – n. to go through or cause to go through decomposition fiction – n. something invented by the imagination museum – n. a place devoted to the care, study, and display of objects of interest, importance or value sarcophagus – n. an ancient container used for holding human remains potentially – adv. possibly reveal – v. to show plainly approach – n. a way of dealing with something preserve – v. to keep in a good state or condition
Voice of America
15-02-2025
- Voice of America
Research finds ancient Egyptian mummies smell nice
At first whiff, it sounds repulsive: Sniff the essence of an ancient corpse. But researchers who indulged their curiosity in the name of science found that well-preserved Egyptian mummies actually smell pretty good. "In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies," said Cecilia Bembibre, director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage. "We were surprised at the pleasantness of them." "Woody," "spicy" and "sweet" were the leading descriptions from what sounded more like a wine tasting than a mummy-sniffing exercise. Floral notes were also detected, which could be from pine and juniper resins used in embalming. The study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society used both chemical analysis and a panel of human sniffers to evaluate the odors from nine mummies as old as 5,000 years that had been either in storage or on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The researchers wanted to systematically study the smell of mummies because it has long been a subject of fascination for the public and researchers alike, said Bembibre, one of the report's authors. Archaeologists, historians, conservators and even fiction writers have devoted pages of their work to the subject — for good reason. Scent was an important consideration in the mummification process that used oils, waxes and balms to preserve the body and its spirit for the afterlife. The practice was largely reserved for pharaohs and nobility, and pleasant smells were associated with purity and deities, while bad odors were signs of corruption and decay. Without sampling the mummies themselves, which would be invasive, researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure whether aromas were coming from the archaeological item, pesticides or other products used to conserve the remains, or from deterioration due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms. "We were quite worried that we might find notes or hints of decaying bodies, which wasn't the case," said Matija Strlic, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana. "We were specifically worried that there might be indications of microbial degradation, but that was not the case, which means that the environment in this museum is actually quite good in terms of preservation." Using technical instruments to measure and quantify air molecules emitted from sarcophagi to determine the state of preservation without touching the mummies "tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body that is relevant not just to conservators, but to curators and archeologists as well," Strlic said. "We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections." Barbara Huber, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, who was not involved in the study, said the findings provide crucial data on compounds that could preserve or degrade mummified remains. The information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations. "However, the research also underscores a key challenge: The smells detected today are not necessarily those from the time of mummification," Huber said. "Over thousands of years, evaporation, oxidation and even storage conditions have significantly altered the original scent profile." Huber authored a study two years ago that analyzed residue from a jar that had contained mummified organs of a noblewoman to identify embalming ingredients, their origins and what they revealed about trade routes. She then worked with a perfumer to create an interpretation of the embalming scent, known as "Scent of Eternity," for an exhibition at the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark. Researchers of the current study hope to do something similar, using their findings to develop "smellscapes" to artificially re-create the scents they detected and enhance the experience for future museumgoers. "Museums have been called white cubes, where you are prompted to read, to see, to approach everything from a distance with your eyes," Bembibre said. "Observing the mummified bodies through a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them. We don't get to know about the mummification process in an experiential way, which is one of the ways that we understand and engage with the world."
Voice of America
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Everest Growing Taller than Expected
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