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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.
Further Reading
- If you want to check out the “Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life” exhibit, it’s coming to the Royal BC Museum in Canada in June.
- Read the study, From biomolecular traces to multisensory experiences: bringing scent reproductions to museums and cultural heritage via Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology
- Try some smelly science with our How to Capture a Scent activity.
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Segment Guests
Barbara Huber
Dr. Barbara Huber is an archaeo-chemist at the University of Tübingen in Germany.
Carole Calvez
Carole Calvez is a perfumer and olfactory designer and a cofounder of Iris & Morphée in Paris, France.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.
About Dee Peterschmidt
Dee Peterschmidt is Science Friday’s audio production manager, hosted the podcast Universe of Art, and composes music for Science Friday’s podcasts. Their D&D character is a clumsy bard named Chip Chap Chopman.