Researchers have re-created a scent used in the mummification of an elite Egyptian woman around 1450 B.C., dubbing it the “scent of the eternity.”
Because information on the exact recipes used by ancient Egyptians during mummifications is scant, the researchers instead turned to residues in the now-empty urns that had contained the preserved organs of Senetnay, a noblewoman who watched over and breastfed the future pharaoh Amenhotep II during his infancy. Using mass spectrometry, they studied the remaining traces of the balm that preserved — and scented — the organs during the mummification process.
The balms used were complex, the study says, and contained the resins of a pine-related plant the researchers believe was larch, resin from Pistacia or dammar trees, and degradation products from what they believe were animal fats and plant oils. Beeswax and bitumen were also used in the balms.
“The ingredients in the balm make it clear that the ancient Egyptians were sourcing materials from beyond their realm from an early date,” Nicole Boivin, senior researcher on the project, said in a. “The number of imported ingredients in her balm also highlights Senetnay’s importance as a key member of the pharaoh’s inner circle.” Larch and dammar probably came from faraway places, suggesting that ancient Egyptian trading was more widespread than previously thought.
The researchers also worked with a perfumer and a sensory museologist to re-create the balms’ piney perfume for an upcoming museum exhibition at Denmark’s Moesgaard Museum. Their research was only possible because the urns were well preserved as technology evolved — an argument, they write, for “the importance of conserving cultural heritage under optimal conditions over the long term.”
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
Researchers find innovative way to store and process information by maintaining valley polarization at room temperatureResearchers at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman, a multinational aerospace and defense technology company, have found a way to maintain valley polarization at room temperature using novel materials and techniques.
Weiterlesen »
Researchers uncover novel physiological functions of CRISPR-Cas guard RNAHow the expression of Cas proteins in bacterial CRISPR-Cas immune system adapts to the constantly changing CRISPR structures and crRNA expression levels has been a long-standing unresolved question.
Weiterlesen »
Researchers explain plant's medicinal power against COVID and glioblastomaVibrant green leaves sprout from tall fragrant plants sitting neatly in two rows of terracotta pots in Valerie Sponsel's UTSA biology laboratory. One floor just above her is the chemistry lab of Francis Yoshimoto, who is extracting the plant's leaves for medicinal compounds. Soon, the researchers will meet with UTSA researcher Annie Lin, who will test the extracted compounds on cancer cells.
Weiterlesen »
Mysterious 'golden orb' discovered by researchers on Alaskan seafloorThe NOAA says researchers have found a “smooth, gold, dome-shaped specimen' on the Alaskan seafloor that has not been identified.
Weiterlesen »
Exposing Australia's online trade in pest plants: Researchers find thousands of illegal advertisementsDo you buy plants online? You might be breaking the law without even knowing it.
Weiterlesen »
Researchers reveal the hidden world of Toronto's urban predators, and their preyRaccoons may be Toronto's unofficial mascot, but the furry creatures that plunder our green bins are far from the only wild animals that live among us.
Weiterlesen »