Researchers Analyze the Surprising Smells of Ancient Egyptian Mummies 

Here’s a question you’ve probably never thought of: What do Egyptian mummies smell like? 

An international team of researchers has a surprising answer: woody, spicy, and sweet (but if you’re inexplicably interested in things that smell like rotting bodies, check out the corpse flower). As detailed in a study published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the researchers used conventional scientific methods in addition to trained human “sniffers” to analyze the scents of ancient Egyptian mummies. This creative approach sheds new light on the iconic mummification process and emphasizes the importance of olfactory heritage. 

“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,” Matija Strlič, a chemist at University College London (UCL) and lead author on the study, said in a university statement. “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.”

Though aromas are invisible to the human eye, they’re actually chemical molecules. As a result, Strlič and his team used gas chromatography (a method that measures components in a sample) and mass spectrometry (a technique that identifies compounds) to analyze the chemical molecules emitted by nine mummies in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. They also employed professional human “sniffers” (yes, that’s a thing) to describe the quality, intensity, and pleasantness of the smells. 

Through the analyses, the researchers categorized whether the smells came from the ancient mummification technique, modern conservation products or potential pesticide residues, and/or from the body’s natural deterioration—all with completely non-invasive and non-destructive methods. They ultimately described the smell as woody, spicy, and sweet, which isn’t surprising, given that myrrh, frankincense, and tree resins—such as pine—were commonly used in the mummification process. 

“New information was revealed by the smells, highlighting the importance of using our senses to understand the past,” said Cecilia Bembibre, a heritage scientist from UCL, who also participated in the study. 

“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,” explained Ali Abdelhalim, director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, who co-authored 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.”

Specifically, pleasant odors were linked with divinity and purity, while bad smells signaled corruption and (perhaps most accurately) decay, according to the researchers. 

The team’s approach could inspire museums to entertain visitors with odorous features such as smellscapes. In fact, the researchers now plan to reconstruct the smell of ancient mummified bodies in order to share this nontraditional approach to studying Egyptian mummies, as well as highlight an ancient olfactory heritage.

So next time you’re trying to study something—try smelling it!