Scientists find ways to study and reconstruct past scents

Millions of people have suffered the loss of smell due to COVID-19. The world of scent is different for people who have avoided the new coronaviruses because of the masks that protect them. The loss of olfaction has highlighted the importance of smell in how we perceive and navigate the world, and underscored the connections between olfaction and mental and physical health.

The human experience has always included scent, but the past has been mostly odorless. Most smells come from organic substances that decay quickly, making it hard for archaeologists to investigate thousands of years later. The smellscapes of the past can be brought back to life and used to study past experience, behavior and society.

The fact that history records expeditions of discovery, wars, and long-distance exchange to acquire materials with strong olfactory properties makes it difficult to track scent in the deep past.

The use of odorous and aromatic substances can contribute to knowledge about many aspects of the past, including ritual, perfumery, hygiene, cuisine, trade and commerce. Ancient scents can provide insight into more general aspects of the past, from social hierarchy and social practices to group identity, because scent is part of how we experience, understand and navigate the world.

Professor Nicole Boivin, senior author of the study and Director of the Department of Archaeology at the MPI Science of Human History notes that scent is a powerful and underappreciated aspect of human experience.

Using only traces of scented substances preserved in archaeological artifacts and features, and novel methods are revealing the powerful odors that were a feature of ancient lived realities, and that shaped human action, thoughts, emotions and memories.

By linking new data with information from ancient texts, visual depictions, and the broader archaeological and environmental records, researchers stand to open up new aspects of the ancient world. The authors of the new paper hope that more research into the rich and varied smellscapes of the past will provide insight into the sensory worlds of long ago.

Nature Human Behavior published the study.

More information: Barbara Huber et al, How to use modern science to reconstruct ancient scents, Nature Human Behaviour (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01325-7. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01325-7 Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour Citation: Scientists find ways to study and reconstruct past scents (2022, March 28) retrieved 28 March 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-03-scientists-ways-reconstruct-scents.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.