How does your mummy smell? If it’s ancient Egyptian, woody, spicy and sweet

The Royal mummy of Merneptah

Source: © Patrick Landmann/Getty Images

Analysis of odours could one day categorise which era a mummy came from

What do ancient Egyptian mummies really smell like? A team of researchers set out to determine whether their modern-day scent still reflects the embalming materials used in antiquity – and what insights it might reveal about ancient practices while also enhancing museum curation, the museum experience and conservation.