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Perfumes have come a long way from their origins. While most contemporary scents are produced from synthetic materials, the original fragrances were a combination of plant or animal products and rich oils. Today, archaeologists continue to find evidence of perfume's use throughout the ancient world, often in the form of intricate perfume vessels.

Where Did Perfume Come From?

Perfumes and fragrances can be traced to multiple ancient cultures, most notably to the ancient Egyptian civilization. In fact, Egyptians associated their perfumes with the gods: The fragrances were considered to be the sweat of the sun god, Ra. Given the influences of ancient Egypt on the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, the use of scents spread throughout the ancient world. Other ancient cultures, such as ancient Iranians and the ancient Chinese, also prized fragrances, though the Chinese used scent in the form of incense instead of perfumes to be worn.

What Was In Ancient Perfume?

Ancient perfume varied in many respects from modern fragrances. In ancient Egypt, frankincense, opopanax, and myrhh were used. Throughout ancient Africa, various scented oils were used as sun protection as well as for their smell. In Mesopotamia and Babylonia, favored scents included cedar, myrrh, frankincense, and cypress. Generally, oils were used as the "carriers" or fluids to take on the strong scents. In modern times, alcohol is usually used as a carrier. Most of the substances that were the source of scents were plant-based, ranging from flowers to resins and woods.

Why Was Perfume Used?

One purpose of perfume has remained the same, from ancient times to the present: Ancient populations were likewise attracted to appealing smells. In ancient Egypt, cleanliness was highly valued, and it was common to bathe daily or after each meal. Perfume was a further way of cleansing oneself. In ancient Greece, wearing a sweet-smelling fragrance was also considered to be pleasing to the gods. In addition, Greek medical thinkers of the time practiced an ancient form of aromatherapy, finding certain smells to improve health and vitality.

Who Wore Perfume?

Because perfume was a precious and costly substance, it was typically restricted to the wealthy. Royalty and clergy were most likely to use fragrance, a tendency that continued throughout ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and elsewhere. In ancient Greece, a person who was too poor to afford perfume might simply have a perfume bottle painted on their coffin, a tribute to the gods.

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• What Perfumes Did Ancient Egyptians Use? Researchers Aim To Re-Create 3,500-Year-Old Scent: A feature article discusses recent investigations on the composition of ancient Egyptians' perfumes.
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• A Whiff of History: A news article explains the science of smell and how scents can be closely tied to memories.
• Hot on the Scent of History: This feature on Chinese fragrances explains their role in the ancient world.
• Cultural Practices in Ancient Persia: This segment of a joint research project focuses on ancient Persian culture, including the use of fragrance.
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• The Pleasures of Life: This description of a collection at the National Gallery of Art explains the use of perfume and other objects in the ancient culture of Byzantium.
• Egyptian Queen's Perfume to Be Resurrected: This magazine article describes the perfume bottle of an Egyptian queen, which bears traces of ancient perfume.
• Trade: Precious Oils and Cosmetics: A virtual gallery of the University of Pennsylvania archaeology collections explains the role of scented oils and cosmetics in Greek trade.
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• A Short History of Perfume: This article delves into the use and production of perfume from ancient times to more modern times.
• The Essence and Use of Perfume in Ancient Egypt: This abstract provides a pithy summary of the use of perfume by the ancient Egyptians.
• What the Ancients Did for Us: The Islamic World: This summary of a documentary film gives an outline of the contributions of ancient Islam to the modern world, including the production and use of perfume.
• Perfume and Perfume Manufacturing in Ancient Iran: An online magazine article details the production and use of perfume in ancient Iran.
• Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics: This introduction to the use of cosmetics in the ancient Islamic world addresses the role of perfumes.
• Historical Background of Perfume and Perfume Manufacturing in Iran: An essay discusses the historical use of perfume in Iran.