Breathing in the Past: New Paper in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology
I am excited to share my newest collaborative paper, published today in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology: From Biomolecular Traces to Multisensory Experiences: Bringing Scent Reproductions to Museums and Cultural Heritage. Co-authored with Carole Calvez, Christian E. Loeben, Ulrike Dubiel, Steffen Terp Laursen, and Barbara Huber, the paper brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers, museum professionals, and scent practitioners.
The study explores how scientific evidence preserved in archaeological materials can be translated into historically grounded scent experiences for museums and heritage spaces. Rather than focusing only on the reconstruction (The Scent of the Afterlife), we examine the interpretive processes needed to turn complex biomolecular data into meaningful, ethical, and accessible olfactory narratives for the public.
A central contribution of the paper is a practical perfume briefing that shows how scientific results can be transformed into museum-ready olfactory storytelling. We argue that this interpretive step is essential for ensuring that public-facing scent initiatives move beyond novelty and are grounded in both evidence and curatorial intent.
The paper also presents two tested exhibition formats—a scented card for guided tours and a scent diffusion station integrated into gallery design—developed using a scent inspired by ancient Egyptian mummification practices. In museum contexts, both formats demonstrated how smell can deepen emotional engagement and help visitors better imagine past environments and practices.
We hope this research offers museums an evidence-based pathway for working with scent and encourages new collaborations between scientists, perfumers, and cultural institutions, supporting the wider international development of olfactory museology.
Access and download the full paper HERE.
Did you enjoy this blog post? Stay in the loop about upcoming courses, events, and projects I am working on via our newsletter that is exclusively sent to subscribers! Please subscribe to the newsletter here!
Interested in learning more? Check where I am teaching next and my blog post on Recommended Smell Culture Resources to dive deeper into the world of olfactory museology and become familiar with more trailblazers of this field.
Interested in working with scent in your institution?
Get in touch to discuss how olfactory storytelling can support your next exhibition or program. I look forward to collaborating—and to continuing the conversation around multisensory cultural heritage.
