Chemists and perfumers are using new techniques to bring ancient scents back to life, from mummies to a 5,000-year-old incense burner.

Science Friday

[email protected] (Dee Peterschmidt, Kathleen Davis)

Who Wants To Smell An Ancient Embalmed Mummy?

FEB 11, 202619 MIN
Science Friday

Who Wants To Smell An Ancient Embalmed Mummy?

FEB 11, 202619 MIN

Description

Wandering through a museum, you can get a glimpse of what life in ancient societies looked like. But what did it smell like? And is it even possible to get a whiff of, say, a freshly embalmed mummy, or a 5,000-year-old Saudi Arabian incense burner? That’s exactly what some chemists and olfactory designers are trying to do.Producer Kathleen Davis talks with archeo-chemist Barbara Huber and perfumer Carole Calvez about how they scientifically recreated the scent of ancient Egyptian mummies and brought that smell to museums on special cards.Guests:Dr. Barbara Huber is an archeo-chemist at the University of Tübingen in Germany.Carole Calvez is a perfumer and olfactory designer and a cofounder of  Iris & Morphée in Paris, France. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.  Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.