One would expect a mummy to smell like a moldy, young and moldy. But the first study that systematically smells the human remains wrapped report much more pleasant aromas, describing the smell of smell as “woody”, “spicy” and “sweet”, according to a report inside Journal of the American Chemical Society.
“The smell of mummified bodies has attracted for years for years and the general public, but a chemical and perceptual scientific study combined so far has been carried out,” the main author, the author, the author, the author, Matija Strlič, An UCL scientist and the author of the article, said in a press release.
Unwind on a mom’s aroma
Researchers at the University College London and the University of Ljubljana, who work with conservatives and curators in the Egyptian Museum in CairoHe deployed a variety of techniques to explore the mummies’ aroma spectrum, including a variety of instruments, nine human bisyjos and an electronic nose.
The study provides information on the materials used for mummification, how preservation practices changed over time and the effects of the storage of the museum. It could lead to better mummies conservation.
“This innovative research really helps us plan a better conservation and understand the old embalming materials. Add another data layer to enrich the exhibition of the mummified bodies museum, ”said Strlič in the statement.
Read more: The mummification process: how the ancient Egyptians retained bodies for the beyond
Smell molecules analysis
Odors are essentially air molecules emitted by substances. Therefore, it made sense for researchers to display analytical chemistry tools to discover aromas. They were especially interested in the origin of each smell. They intended to identify the aromas resulting from the original mummification process, the pesticides that may have been added later and the result of the decomposition caused by a variety of microorganisms.
There is a certain internal logic to make mummies smell well. Its creators did not want the beloved to go to take their funk to the other life.
“For the ancient Egyptians, the mummification was an important mortuary practice aimed at preserving the body and soul for future life through a detailed ritual of embalming of the deceased using oils, waxes and balms,” Ali Abdelhalim, author of the document and Director of the Egyptian Museum at Cairo, he said in the statement. “The practice evolved over time, and identify different techniques and materials used offers information about the time, the location and the socioeconomic state of the individual who is mummified.”
The importance of smell
The aroma was an important aspect of ancient Egyptian culture. The pleasant smells were associated with deities, while the lacks indicated corruption and decomposition associated with mortality.
The researchers determined that the perfume of mummies came from a complex mixture of sources. They included oils of pine, cedar and juniper, resins such as incense and myrrh, and a variety of waxes.
Finally, those aromas could be sniffed by the general public. Now that mummies’ branches have been analyzed, museums can recreate them. Such landscapes of smell of mom could be next time to a museum near you.
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Before joining Discover, Paul Smaglik spent more than 20 years as a scientific journalist, specializing in the United States Life Science Policy and global scientific career problems. He began his career in newspapers, but changed to scientific journals. His work has appeared in publications that include scientists, sciences, nature and American scientific.
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