Study shows mummification process left preserved remains smelling sweet and woody In a nutshell Ancient Egyptian mummies emit surprisingly pleasant scents characterized by woody, spicy, and sweet notes,

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.

Even around 5,000 years after their embalming, Strlič and collaborators described the bodies as smelling “pleasant.” This is largely thanks to the materials applied to the mummies, which included scented waxes, coniferous resins and oils made from pine, cedar, and juniper, as well as gum resins such as frankincense and myrrh.

Researchers who sniffed mummified remains in the name of science were greeted more with a blessing than a curse

The research team explained that smell was a key consideration for the ancient Egyptians during the mummification process, as pleasant odors were associated with the bodies of deities and their purity, while foul odors were considered indications of a body’s corruption and decay.

Learn how unpacking olfactory elements helps researchers understand mummy preservation techniques, and how you could one day smell a mummy yourself.

After thousands of years in the afterlife you might expect to stink like a moldy old scrotum, but as it turns out, ancient Egyptian mummies are still surprisingly easy on the nose. A credit to their embalmers,

We know what they look like, and even sound like, but there’s one question you might not have pondered: what do ancient Egyptian mummies smell like? Whether you wanted to know or not, scientists have now given us an answer.