Ancient Egyptian Mummified Bodies: Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Their Smell

Ancient Egyptian mummification was a mortuary practice aimed at preserving the body and soul for the afterlife, achieved through a detailed ritual of embalming using oils, waxes, and balms. While most research on Egyptian mummified bodies has so far been conducted in European collections, our study focuses on the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The goal was to evaluate whether contemporary smells reflect the mummification materials and, if so, what information can be of value to collection interpretation and conservation. We combined panel-based sensory analyses with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O), microbiological analysis, and historical and conservation research. Apart from differences in odor intensity, the sensory analyses highlighted common olfactory descriptors for all samples: “woody”, “spicy”, and “sweet”. GC-MS-O identified four categories of volatiles based on their origin: (i) original mummification materials; (ii) plant oils used for conservation; (iii) synthetic pesticides; and (iv) microbiological deterioration products. However, the use of insect repellents similar in composition to the original mummification materials makes it challenging to attribute the origin of some compounds. Clusters based on the chemical and olfactory profiles of the smells emerged, suggesting similarities based on the archeological period, conservation treatments, and materiality.