Here's what a 3,000-year-old mummy actually smells like

Here's what a 3,000-year-old mummy actually smells like

Scientists have discovered what mummies smell like and it's surprisingly not too bad.

Photo credit: Alamy

Published: July 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm

What do mummies smell like? Woody, spicy and sweet. That's how the smells of mummified bodies were described in a recent study at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo – not bad considering they are around 3,000 years old.

A combination of human 'sniffers' and scientific instruments revealed that the heady smells weren't just from the oils, balms and resins used to preserve the bodies.

The musk also came from the museum's conservation products, and microbial activity on the mummies as they deteriorate.

The researchers plan to recreate the aroma for museum visitors, and say that their work could provide a non-invasive way to monitor a mummy's condition.


This article is an answer to the question (asked by Simone Faulkner, via email) 'What do mummies smell like?'

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