Even after 5,000 years in a sarcophagus, mummified bodies from ancient Egypt still smell quite nice, scientists have discovered. Researchers who examined nine mummies found that though there was some difference in the intensity of their odours,

Few visitors wandering through the mummy galleries at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo have the opportunity—or perhaps the inclination—to smell the aromas wafting off the gilded sarcophagi and elaborately wrapped bodies of ancient Egyptian elites on display in glass cases.

The analysis provided new insights into the materials ancient Egyptians used for embalming, revealing how these practices evolved. It also highlighted how museums have preserved these ancient bodies, often applying modern chemicals that blend with the original scents.

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.

Scientists used an 'electronic nose' (and good old biological sniffers) to reveal the scents of ancient mummies.

The study is the first time that the smells of mummified bodies have been systematically analyzed. The post New research reveals what Ancient Egyptian mummies smell like appeared first on Talker.