Researchers Use Chemical Examinations and Human Smell to Study Ancient Remains
2025-02-22
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1A recent study about the smell of Egyptian mummies reached some surprising findings.
2The ancient bodies did not smell bad, the researchers found. Instead, they say, the remains mostly smelled good.
3Cecilia Bembibre is director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage.
4"In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies," she said.
5"We were surprised at the pleasantness of them."
6The researchers reported the leading descriptions of the smells as "woody," "spicy" and "sweet."
7They also reported a floral or flowery smell.
8That smell could be from pine and juniper resins used in mummification; a process designed to protect the body from decay.
9The study appeared recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
10It used both chemical examinations and several human smellers to study nine mummies.
11The mummies, some around 5,000 years old, had been housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
12Bembibre, one of the report's writers, said the researchers wanted to study the smell of mummies because it has long been a subject of interest for the public and researchers alike.
13She added that even fiction writers have written pages of work on the subject - for good reason.
14Scent, or smell, was an important consideration in the mummification process.
15This process used oils and plant-based materials to protect the body and its spirit for the afterlife.
16Mummification was largely used for powerful people such as pharaohs and other leaders.
17Pleasant smells were linked with purity and gods.
18Bad smells were signs of corruption and decay.
19Researchers did not want to directly measure the mummies, because doing so might be damaging.
20Instead, researchers were able to take measurements that did not involve touching the mummies.
21Researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure smells, pesticides, and other effects due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms.
22Using technical instruments to measure air molecules released from sarcophagi was very important, said Matija Strlič, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana.
23"It tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body...." he said.
24"We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections."
25Barbara Huber of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany was not involved in the study.
26Huber said the findings provide important data on compounds that could preserve or damage mummified remains.
27The information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations.
28Huber said that over thousands of years, differing conditions have changed the scents of the mummies in a major way.
29Huber wrote a study two years ago that examined a jar that had contained mummified organs of a woman.
30The goal was to identify the material used to preserve the organs and what that would show about ancient trade paths.
31Researchers of the current study hope to do something similar.
32They want to use their findings to develop "smellscapes" to recreate the scents they discovered.
33They also want to change the experience for future museumgoers.
34Bembibre said museums generally ask visitors to experience everything with their eyes.
35She added that seeing mummies through "a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them."
36Smelling the scents of mummification would improve the museum visitors' experiences, she suggested, as smell is one of the ways that people understand the world.
37I'm John Russell.
1A recent study about the smell of Egyptian mummies reached some surprising findings. The ancient bodies did not smell bad, the researchers found. Instead, they say, the remains mostly smelled good. 2Cecilia Bembibre is director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage. "In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies," she said. "We were surprised at the pleasantness of them." 3The researchers reported the leading descriptions of the smells as "woody," "spicy" and "sweet." They also reported a floral or flowery smell. That smell could be from pine and juniper resins used in mummification; a process designed to protect the body from decay. 4The study appeared recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It used both chemical examinations and several human smellers to study nine mummies. The mummies, some around 5,000 years old, had been housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. 5Bembibre, one of the report's writers, said the researchers wanted to study the smell of mummies because it has long been a subject of interest for the public and researchers alike. 6She added that even fiction writers have written pages of work on the subject - for good reason. 7Scent, or smell, was an important consideration in the mummification process. This process used oils and plant-based materials to protect the body and its spirit for the afterlife. Mummification was largely used for powerful people such as pharaohs and other leaders. 8Pleasant smells were linked with purity and gods. Bad smells were signs of corruption and decay. 9Researchers did not want to directly measure the mummies, because doing so might be damaging. Instead, researchers were able to take measurements that did not involve touching the mummies. Researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia were able to measure smells, pesticides, and other effects due to mold, bacteria or microorganisms. 10Using technical instruments to measure air molecules released from sarcophagi was very important, said Matija Strlič, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana. 11"It tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body...." he said. "We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections." 12Barbara Huber of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany was not involved in the study. Huber said the findings provide important data on compounds that could preserve or damage mummified remains. The information could be used to better protect the ancient bodies for future generations. 13Huber said that over thousands of years, differing conditions have changed the scents of the mummies in a major way. 14Huber wrote a study two years ago that examined a jar that had contained mummified organs of a woman. The goal was to identify the material used to preserve the organs and what that would show about ancient trade paths. 15Researchers of the current study hope to do something similar. They want to use their findings to develop "smellscapes" to recreate the scents they discovered. They also want to change the experience for future museumgoers. 16Bembibre said museums generally ask visitors to experience everything with their eyes. She added that seeing mummies through "a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them." 17Smelling the scents of mummification would improve the museum visitors' experiences, she suggested, as smell is one of the ways that people understand the world. 18I'm John Russell. 19Brian Melley reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 20_________________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22mummy - n. an ancient body treated for burial with preservatives 23resin - n. natural organic substances that are usually transparent or translucent and yellowish to brown in color and are often made from plant materials; they are also soluble in organic solvents but not in water, are electrical nonconductors, and are used to cover and protect surfaces 24decay - n. to go through or cause to go through decomposition 25fiction - n. something invented by the imagination 26museum - n. a place devoted to the care, study, and display of objects of interest, importance or value 27sarcophagus - n. an ancient container used for holding human remains 28potentially - adv. possibly 29reveal - v. to show plainly 30approach - n. a way of dealing with something 31preserve - v. to keep in a good state or condition
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