One would expect a mummy to smell moldy, musty, and mildewy. But the first study to systematically sniff the wrapped human remains report much more pleasant scents, describing whiffs as "woody," "spicy," and "sweet," according to a report in Journal of the American Chemical Society.
“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,” lead author, Matija Strlič, a UCL scientist and author of the paper, said in a press release.
Researchers from the University College London and University of Ljubljana, working with conservators and curators at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, deployed a variety of techniques to explore mummies’ scent spectrum, including a variety of instruments, nine human sniffers, and an electronic nose.
The study provides insight into the materials used for mummification, how preservation practices changed over ...
