Ancient Egyptian mummies have a woody, spicy and sweet scent, a study led by researchers from the University of Ljubljana in cooperation with their colleagues from the University College London (UCL) has found.

The results of what is the first systemic research into smells of mummified bodies where electronic and human noses were applied were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on 13 February.

The study was conducted by Slovenian, UK and Polish researchers from the Ljubljana Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology and the UCL together with the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The researchers measured and quantified the substances emitted by nine mummies exhibited at the Cairo museum. A team of smell-trained experts then described the smells according to their olfactory notes, intensity and pleasantness.

Better understanding of ancient embalming materials

The study's lead author, professor Matija Strlič of the Faculty of Chemistry, says that the smell of mummies has been of great interest to experts and the general public for years.

However, no combined chemical and sensory study had been carried out until now, according to Strlič, an honorary professor at UCL's Institute for Sustainable Heritage.

"The ground-breaking research is really helping us better plan conservation and understand ancient embalming materials. It adds another layer of data that will enrich museum exhibitions," he was quoted as saying in a press release by the Ljubljana faculty.

Smelling museum artefacts

The findings open up new possibilities for improving the museum's presentation of mummies, as visitors could also experience the Egyptian heritage through smell.

The research team now plans to create a state-of-the-art reconstruction of the smell of mummified bodies to enhance the visitor experience.

Strlič is also involved in a Slovenian-Polish project to describe scents of selected museum artefacts for a library of scents.

Cecilia Bembibre, the study's co-author from UCL, says the smells reveal new information, highlighting the importance of using the senses to understand the past.

While most studies of mummified bodies previously took place in European museums, this time the researchers worked closely with colleagues in Egypt to ensure that their expertise is represented and that together they develop an ethical and respectful approach to the study of mummified bodies, Bembibre was quoted as saying.

Pleasant smells associated with purity

Egyptian Museum director Ali Abdelhalim, another co-author of the study, says that identification of different mummification techniques and materials provides insight into the period, place and socio-economic status of the mummified individual.

Smell was crucial to the ancient Egyptians during the mummification process, as pleasant smells were associated with the bodies of deities and their purity.

Even today, some 5,000 years later, the smell of mummies is often described as pleasant, due to the resins and oils of coniferous trees, other vegetable oils and resins, and waxes used in the mummification process.