• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

The scent of the afterlife: New study of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms

by Dario Radley
September 4, 2023

A team of researchers led by Barbara Huber from the MPI of Geoanthropology has successfully recreated the scent used in the mummification of a prominent Egyptian woman over 3,500 years ago.

The scent of the afterlife: New study of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms
Canopic jar of Senetnay, “Wet Nurse of the King” (Amenhotep II), which originally contained Senetnay’s mummified lungs. Museum August Kestner, Hannover (Germany); photo: Christian Teppe

Known as “the scent of eternity,” this ancient aroma will be a centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition at the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark, offering visitors a remarkable sensory experience.

The research project, which has been published in Scientific Reports, focused on the mummification substances that were used to embalm Senetnay, a noblewoman from the 18th dynasty, circa 1450 BCE.

The team employed advanced analytical techniques, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, high-temperature gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, to reconstruct the specific ingredients that contributed to preserving and scenting Senetnay for eternity.

Barbara Huber explained, “We analyzed balm residues found in two canopic jars from the mummification equipment of Senetnay that were excavated over a century ago by Howard Carter from Tomb KV42 in the Valley of the Kings.” These jars are currently housed in the Museum August Kestner in Hannover, Germany.

RelatedStories

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

July 10, 2025

The analysis revealed that the balms contained a combination of beeswax, plant oil, fats, bitumen, Pinaceae resins (most likely larch resin), a balsamic substance, and dammar or Pistacia tree resin.

What makes these findings even more intriguing is the evidence of trade connections that existed in ancient Egypt during the 2nd millennium BCE. “The ingredients in the balm make it clear that the ancient Egyptians were sourcing materials from beyond their realm from an early date,” noted Prof. Nicole Boivin, a senior researcher on the project.

Of particular significance were the imports of larch tree resin from the northern Mediterranean and possibly dammar resin, which comes exclusively from trees in Southeast Asian tropical forests. If the presence of dammar resin is confirmed, it would suggest that the ancient Egyptians had access to this Southeast Asian resin through long-distance trade nearly a millennium earlier than previously known.

Working closely with French perfumer Carole Calvez and sensory museologist Sofia Collette Ehrich, the research team meticulously recreated the ancient scent based on their analytical findings. This unique endeavor seeks to provide museum visitors with an immersive, multisensory experience, allowing them to connect with the past in a way that goes beyond visual and auditory elements, bringing the mystique of ancient Egyptian mummification to the modern day.

Furthermore, this groundbreaking approach also serves a broader purpose by making new research results on ancient mummification accessible to a wider audience, including individuals with visual impairments.

Press release from the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology

More information: Huber, B., Hammann, S., Loeben, C.E. et al. (2023). Biomolecular characterization of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms from the Valley of the Kings. Sci Rep 13, 12477. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39393-y
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors
Archaeology

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

July 30, 2025
900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney
Archaeology

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University
Archaeology

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory
Anthropology

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025
5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat
Archaeology

5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

July 28, 2025
250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel
Archaeology

250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel

July 28, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
112K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
13K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

July 21, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

July 30, 2025
900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025
5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

July 28, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved