Researchers find nine mummies they examined all smelled "woody", "spicy" and "sweet".

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39143995

The authors of the academic study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on Thursday, had to get the smell from inside the sarcophagus without interfering with the mummy inside.

The researchers, from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, did so by inserting a tiny tube so they were able measure the scent without taking any physical samples.

If you want to smell the smell too

They say recreating the composition of the smells chemically will allow others to experience a mummy’s whiff - and help to tell when the bodies inside may be starting to rot.

“We want to share the experience we had smelling the mummified bodies, so we’re reconstructing the smell to be presented in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo,” Cecilia Bembibre, one of the researchers, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

  • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    4 days ago

    I assume they used GC-MS?

    Edit: Well it seems they used GC at least.

    The researchers used a technique called gas chromatography to separate the different smells inside the sarcophagus that combined to make its scent.

    • Flummoxed@lemmy.todayEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      With all the spices and honey used in ancient Egyptian embalming, I’m sure the Victorians were on to something! What could go wrong? They were fine, right?