WE EXPECT DEATH TO STINK. In our olfactory memory, the idea of decaying organic remains rarely conjures a pleasant odor: sour, fetid, nauseating. But in ancient Egypt, deathâand therefore the afterlifeâhad a different aroma.
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Imagine notes of beeswax, tree resin, and balsam, with a hint of tar and sweetness. Some of the ingredients behind this woodsy, warm scent have the added benefit, used properly, of preserving organic matter. âItâs not like a perfume per se, or the concept we have today of a perfume. It was really for preserving the body for the afterlife,â says Huber. The ancient Egyptians believed a soul could return to an intact body after death. âPreserving the body is of utmost importance,â she adds. âBut another thing that is really interesting is the ancient Egyptians really didnât want to stink in the afterlife, and this is where the smell and the nice aromas come into play.â
Experts reconstructed the smell of mummified organsâand itâs actually pretty pleasant.
BY ROXANNE HOORNSEPTEMBER 14, 2023Get a Whiff of Ancient Egyptâs 'Scent of Eternity'
The limestone canopic jars of lady Senetnay featured lids shaped like human heads. Two jars are kept at the Museum August Kestner in Hanover, Germany.
WE EXPECT DEATH TO STINK. In our olfactory memory, the idea of decaying organic remains rarely conjures a pleasant odor: sour, fetid, nauseating. But in ancient Egypt, deathâand therefore the afterlifeâhad a different aroma.
âThey say that when âpeople die, they rot, they decay, they stink, and they will become countless worms.â This is how they describe it,â says Barbara Huber, doctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany. âIf you stink it means your body is already decayingâa bad, bad thing. So in order to be able to live for eternity, you need to smell good.â
Imagine notes of beeswax, tree resin, and balsam, with a hint of tar and sweetness. Some of the ingredients behind this woodsy, warm scent have the added benefit, used properly, of preserving organic matter. âItâs not like a perfume per se, or the concept we have today of a perfume. It was really for preserving the body for the afterlife,â says Huber. The ancient Egyptians believed a soul could return to an intact body after death. âPreserving the body is of utmost importance,â she adds. âBut another thing that is really interesting is the ancient Egyptians really didnât want to stink in the afterlife, and this is where the smell and the nice aromas come into play.â
Experts reconstructed the smell of mummified organsâand itâs actually pretty pleasant.
BY ROXANNE HOORNSEPTEMBER 14, 2023Get a Whiff of Ancient Egyptâs 'Scent of Eternity'
The limestone canopic jars of lady Senetnay featured lids shaped like human heads. Two jars are kept at the Museum August Kestner in Hanover, Germany.
WE EXPECT DEATH TO STINK. In our olfactory memory, the idea of decaying organic remains rarely conjures a pleasant odor: sour, fetid, nauseating. But in ancient Egypt, deathâand therefore the afterlifeâhad a different aroma.
âThey say that when âpeople die, they rot, they decay, they stink, and they will become countless worms.â This is how they describe it,â says Barbara Huber, doctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany. âIf you stink it means your body is already decayingâa bad, bad thing. So in order to be able to live for eternity, you need to smell good.â
Imagine notes of beeswax, tree resin, and balsam, with a hint of tar and sweetness. Some of the ingredients behind this woodsy, warm scent have the added benefit, used properly, of preserving organic matter. âItâs not like a perfume per se, or the concept we have today of a perfume. It was really for preserving the body for the afterlife,â says Huber. The ancient Egyptians believed a soul could return to an intact body after death. âPreserving the body is of utmost importance,â she adds. âBut another thing that is really interesting is the ancient Egyptians really didnât want to stink in the afterlife, and this is where the smell and the nice aromas come into play.â
