Study published in Journal of the American Chemical Society used both chemical analysis and panel of human sniffers to evaluate odors from nine mummies as old as 5,000 years

Even around 5,000 years after their embalming, Strlič and collaborators described the bodies as smelling “pleasant.” This is largely thanks to the materials applied to the mummies, which included scented waxes, coniferous resins and oils made from pine, cedar, and juniper, as well as gum resins such as frankincense and myrrh.

Few visitors wandering through the mummy galleries at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo have the opportunity—or perhaps the inclination—to smell the aromas wafting off the gilded sarcophagi and elaborately wrapped bodies of ancient Egyptian elites on display in glass cases.

Researchers who sniffed mummified remains in the name of science were greeted more with a blessing than a curse

The analysis provided new insights into the materials ancient Egyptians used for embalming, revealing how these practices evolved. It also highlighted how museums have preserved these ancient bodies, often applying modern chemicals that blend with the original scents.

A new study has revealed what ancient Egyptian mummies smell like – and the results might surprise you. Researchers from UCL and the University of Ljubljana looked into details about mummification practices in the ancient civilisation and found that the bodies smelled ‘woody,’ ‘spicy’ and ‘sweet’.

The team’s approach could inspire museums to entertain visitors with odorous features such as smellscapes. In fact, the researchers now plan to reconstruct the smell of ancient mummified bodies in order to share this nontraditional approach to studying Egyptian mummies, as well as highlight an ancient olfactory heritage.

Even after 5,000 years in a sarcophagus, mummified bodies from ancient Egypt still smell quite nice, scientists have discovered. Researchers who examined nine mummies found that though there was some difference in the intensity of their odours, all could be described as "woody", "spicy" and "sweet".

Researchers who sniffed mummified remains in the name of science described them as "woody," "spicy," and "sweet," with floral notes.