Episode 201 - The Past Smells

We've asked this on the show before, but..what did the past smell like? In this episode, we talk about some of the ways that researchers are finding and recreating some ancient aromas. We also get speculative about smellscapes and honk the Clown Horn of Orientalism at some perfumes. Get your sniffers ready, this one's fun!

Links

• How our sense of smell evolved (ScienceDaily)

• Does Archaeology Stink? Detecting Smell in the Past Using Headspace Sampling Techniques (Rose Malik)

• Odeuropa

• Ancient “smellscapes” are wafting out of artifacts and old texts (ScienceNews)

• Eau de Cleopatra (Near Eastern Archaeology)

• Copal: the Blood of Trees: Sacred Source of Maya and Aztec Incense (ThoughtCo)