Archaeological Updates: Research shows Egyptian human remains smell nice

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Researchers at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo found that 5,000-year-old mummies smell “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet,” challenging common expectations.

Nine mummies as old as 5,000 years at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo were surprisingly found to smell “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet,” despite what common sense may suggest. On Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) published an article evaluating “whether contemporary smells reflect the mummification materials and, if so, what information can be of value to collection interpretation and conservation.” 

The JACS explained the purpose and method of their research. “By combining sensory, chemical, microbiological, and historical research, this study developed a novel, nondestructive approach to studying ancient remains, reflecting the complexity of mummification practices, diversity of materials, and divergent conservation histories.” They then stated, “Apart from differences in odor intensity, the sensory analyses highlighted common olfactory descriptors for all samples: “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet.”

According to BBC News, Cecilia Bembibre, director of research at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Heritage, said, "In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies." She went on to add, "We were surprised at their pleasantness." The research team faced a problem getting to the smell inside the sarcophagus without disturbing the mummy inside. Bembibre explained, “Heritage scientists are always trying to find 'non-destructive' ways to discover new information.”

The researchers used gas chromatography to separate the different smells inside the mummified sarcophagus to avoid damaging the artifacts. The JACS explained, “They found odors related to the breakdown of animal fats used in the embalming process, which could indicate that the body is beginning to decompose.”

The JACS stated that their research “yielded a complex data set offering insights into the mummification practices, as well as conservation history and preservation states.” They continued to explain that the analysis “gave the possibility to develop a new approach focusing on the compounds contributing to the current smell of the mummified bodies.”

Matija Strlič, a chemistry professor at the University of Ljubljana, explained, "We were quite worried that we might find notes or hints of decaying bodies, which wasn't the case," Strlič continued, "We were specifically worried that there might be indications of microbial degradation, but that was not the case, which means that the environment in this museum, is quite good in terms of preservation."

Strlič told the Associated Press the scents of the mummies may even suggest what social class the person was from. "It tells us potentially what social class a mummy was from and therefore reveals a lot of information about the mummified body that is relevant not just to conservators, but to curators and archeologists as well," he said. "We believe that this approach is potentially of huge interest to other types of museum collections."

Visitors will soon be able to add a new sense to their museum experience. "Museums have been called white cubes, where you are prompted to read, to see, to approach everything from a distance with your eyes," Bembibre said. "Observing the mummified bodies through a glass case reduces the experience because we don't get to smell them. We don't get to know about the mummification process in an experiential way, which is one of the ways that we understand and engage with the world."

Whether or not you have asked yourself, what do mummies smell like? Bembibr wants to “share our experience of smelling the mummified bodies." Visitors who smell the scents in the museums will be able to “experience ancient Egypt and the mummification process from a totally different perspective."