Scents Of Cleopatra Recreated In A Glass Bottle
2 min readSmoke and ocher in poetic terms refer to “dreams of the earth.” This combination can be compared to perfume used to describe scented mixtures. The Latin word, “per fumus,” means “through smoke.” A 2,000-year-old scent has been reinvented from an ancient perfume recipe.
Cardamom, olive oil, and cinnamon were the key ingredients. Essential for both were myrrh and resin. The Egyptians stored their precious perfumes in glass bottles. It was one of the first common uses for glass.
Prof. Robert Littman and Dr. Jay Silverstein from the University of Hawaii have been working in the ancient Egyptian city of Thmuis.
They discovered a raft of kilns dating back to the 3rd century. The team discovered an area that produced a kind of liquid. A hoard of silver coins, gold, and silver jewelry was close to the kilns.
Residues in the vessels were transported to experts Dora Goldsmith and Sean Coughlin. The team studied the ancient scents.
The most potent scents were of the Mendesian and Metopian era.
What was the mystery of Queen Cleopatra’s legendary beauty? Its believed that beauty requires “no pain no gain”. Cleopatra bathed in sour goat’s milk. She used dried crocodile dung to beautify her complexion.
Like to days celebs, “she had her own perfume factory.
In ancient times smell had a profound meaning. Dr. Silverstein emphasized that perfume played an integral part in rituals and healing. It was even associated with immortality…
The perfume business has had a long fragrant history. Now you can get a whiff of ancient Egyptian dreams and sample her royal aroma. The National Geographic Museum in Washington DC has included the perfume of Cleopatra in their “Queens of Egypt” exhibit.
