In the hushed halls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the air isn’t just thick with history. A new study has for the first time systematically studied the smell of ancient Egyptian mummies. These millennia-old remains emit scents that have been described as woody, spicy, and even sweet — a sensory window into the rituals and materials used to preserve the dead for eternity.
By combining advanced chemical analysis with the keen noses of trained human sniffers, the team has unlocked new insights into ancient Egyptian embalming practices.
A Nose for History
There’s more to odors than just a fleeting sensation. They are chemical signatures, molecules suspended in the air that tell stories about the substances from which they originate. For this study, researchers used a gas chromatography and a mass spectrometer to analyze the chemical compounds released by nine ancient Egyptian mummified bodies. Alongside this high-tech approach, a panel of human sniffers described the scents in terms of quality, intensity, and even pleasantness.
The mummies emitted a complex bouquet of aromas, dominated by woody, spicy, and sweet notes. These scents, the researchers found, were largely the result of coniferous resins, gum resins like myrrh and frankincense, and beeswax — materials long known to have been used in mummification. But the study went further, distinguishing between smells produced by the ancient embalming process and those introduced later, such as pesticides or the natural decay of organic materials.
“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,” said Professor Matija Strlič of the University of Ljubljana, the study’s lead author. “This ground-breaking research really helps us better plan conservation and understand the ancient embalming materials. It adds another layer of data to enrich the museum exhibition of mummified bodies.”
For the ancient Egyptians, smell was extremely important and had spiritual connotations. Pleasant odors were associated with the divine, a sign of purity and sanctity. Foul smells, on the other hand, signaled corruption and decay. This belief shaped their mummification practices, which aimed to preserve the body and soul for the afterlife.
“To the ancient Egyptians, mummification was an important mortuary practice aimed at preserving the body and soul for the afterlife through a detailed ritual of embalming of the deceased using oils, waxes, and balms,” said Professor Ali Abdelhalim, director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and a co-author of the study. “The practice evolved over time, and identifying different techniques and materials used offers insights into the era, location, and socioeconomic status of the individual being mummified.”
Preserving the Past, Engaging the Future
By identifying the chemical composition of the odors emitted by mummified bodies, conservators can better protect these ancient artifacts — and the people who care for them. Some of the chemicals detected, such as formaldehyde, can be harmful if inhaled over long periods.
Even more practically, these insights could be used to engage museum visitors. The researchers envision creating “smellscapes” — reconstructed scents that allow audiences to experience ancient Egyptian heritage in a more immersive way. “In the future, a contemporary reconstruction of the smell of ancient, mummified bodies will be produced by the research team,” said Strlič. “This will enable audiences to experience this important aspect of ancient Egyptian heritage and approach practices of embalming and conservation in an engaging, olfactory way.”
The findings were reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
