Decoding the Ancient Aroma: Scientists Resurrect Scent of Egyptian Mummification Balms

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Ancient Egyptian Fragrance Revived

CNN — Scientists have decoded an ancient aroma by identifying the ingredients used in Egyptian mummification balms — and resurrected the scent. Those eager to sample this whiff of the past will be able to find what the researchers have dubbed “the scent of the eternity” during an upcoming exhibition at the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark.

The Ingredients of Immortality

• The fragrance is based on beeswax, plant oils, and tree resins
• These ingredients were found within balms used over 3,500 years ago to preserve Senetnay, a noblewoman
• Senetnay’s remains were placed within canopic jars and discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in 1900

Insights Into Ancient Egypt

A study detailing the findings of this research has been published in the journal Scientific Reports. The discovery provides insights into Senetnay’s social status, the methods used for preservation, and the significance of the balm ingredients. Barbara Huber, lead study author and doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, said, “The embalming ingredients found in Senetnay’s balms are among the most elaborate and diverse ever identified from this period, revealing the meticulous care and sophistication with which the balms were created.”

A Woman of Importance

Little is known about Senetnay, but previous research has established that she lived around 1,450 BC and was the wet nurse of Pharaoh Amenhotep II. The inclusion of her remains in the prestigious Valley of the Kings suggests her extraordinary privilege and high regard by the Pharaoh. The balms used to preserve her organs and body highlight the great efforts Egyptians went to in their mortuary practices.

Trade Routes Explored

The presence of rare ingredients, such as larch tree resin and dammar or Pistacia tree resin, indicate the establishment of far-reaching trade routes and networks during the mid-2nd millennium BCE. Egyptian trade routes connected the northern Mediterranean, central Europe, and Southeast Asia. This suggests the early phases of a globalized world.

A Fragrant Connection to the Past

After identifying the ingredients, the research team recreated the actual scent of the balm with the help of a French perfumer and a sensory museologist. The scent, called “the scent of eternal life,” will be part of the ancient Egyptian exhibit at the Moesgaard Museum and aims to provide visitors with a unique, visceral connection to the past.