Reconstructing the Scents of the Past

Katarzyna Gromek - Independent Researcher (USA) ... Challenges in Recreating the Historical Fragrances from the Ancient Greco-Roman World and the Early Islamic Caliphates Fragrances are generally considered a frivolous topic, though they were an important part of daily life. I am interested in recreating the actual odor of historical fragrances. I based my redactions on recipes preserved in primary texts (Materia medica or cookbooks) or on the results from analyses of extant samples, and I aim to use exclusively the methods mentioned in source texts. One of the biggest challenges to the recreation of historical fragrances is the availability of ingredients. There is an ambiguity in modern translations and identification of plants and other ingredients. Some plants used in historical recipes are no longer available, or their qualities have drastically changed (like their ability to produce resin). Ingredients from the animal world can be illegal in some countries, prohibitively expensive, or