Dr. Cecilia Bembibre, University College London Lecturer: Our nose is a fantastic tool to learn more about the past. So, we decided to explore this idea of a nose as a 4diagnostic tool in the case of 5mummified bodies.
CNN Correspondent: Researchers from University College London and University of Ljubljana will tell you a mummy's scent isn't as 6hauntingas its looks. The spicy, woody, and even sweet smells give us insight into what materials 7embalmers used thousands of years ago.
Dr. Cecilia Bembibre: This is a gas 8chromatograph 9mass spectrometer. Basically it enables us to separate each of the 10chemicals present in that air and identify them chemically, but also it allows us to experience the smells as humans and describe the quality.
CNN Correspondent: The study of nine mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, conducted with Egyptian 11conservators, 12revealedscents of plant oils and wood, gum resins like13 frankincense and 14myrrh, and even cinnamon. The research also helped determine which of these materials were part of the original embalming process, and which were added later to help 15preserve the bodies.
This approach takes 10 liters of air through a sampling tube, which not only helps keep the mummies safe and 16intact, but reveals how scent can be just as 17informative as sight or sound, and could even be 18incorporated into museum experiences.
Dr. Cecilia Bembibre: One of the innovative 19contributions of this study is to the 20emerging field of 21olfactory 22heritage. And this study is how, using our nose, we can learn more about history and heritage.
CNN Correspondent: A study proving that thousands of years into the future, our noses, of all things, will be a window into the past.
