Even after 5,000 years in a sarcophagus, mummified bodies from ancient Egypt still smell quite pleasant, scientists have discovered.
Researchers who studied nine mummies found that, although the intensity of their odors varied, all could be described as "woody," "spicy," and "sweet."
They believe that recreating the smell's composition chemically will allow others to experience a mummy's scent and help determine when the bodies inside might begin to decay.
"We want to share the experience we had smelling the mummified bodies, so we're reconstructing the scent to be displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo," Cecilia Bembibre, one of the researchers, told Radio 4's Today program.
During the mummification process, ancient Egyptians surrounded the body with pleasant smells as an important part of preparing the spirit for the afterlife.
As a result, pharaohs and members of the nobility were adorned with oils, waxes, and balms during mummification.
"In films and books, terrible things happen to those who smell mummified bodies," said Dr. Bembibre. "We were surprised at how pleasant they were."
The authors of the academic study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on Thursday, had to capture the smell from inside the sarcophagus without disturbing the mummy.
The researchers, from UCL and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, did this by inserting a tiny tube to measure the scent without taking any physical samples.
Dr. Bembibre explained that heritage scientists are always trying to find "non-destructive" ways to discover new information.