Scent of a Mummy: Smells and Pleasure in ancient Egypt, with Dora Goldsmith episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 20, 2025 · 40 MIN

Scent of a Mummy: Smells and Pleasure in ancient Egypt, with Dora Goldsmith

from The History of Egypt Podcast · host Dominic Perry

What did ancient Egyptians like to smell? Did they use any narcotics in their day to day lives? And what do mummified bodies smell like? Today, I'm pleased to welcome Dora Goldsmith to the podcast. Dora Goldsmith is a PhD-candidate at the Freie Universitat in Berlin, Germany. Specialising in ancient smellscapes, Dora explores how the ancient Egyptians perceived and described the scent of their world. Along the way, Dora introduces us to the favoured perfumes and flowers used by the ancients, some of their “recreational” substances, and how mummified bodies smell today. Publications by Dora Goldsmith at Academia.edu https://fu-berlin.academia.edu/DoraGoldsmith For perfumes and newsletter, email Dora Goldsmith directly at [email protected]. Learn more about her reconstructions in the Ancient Egyptian Scent Kit. Follow Dora on Instagram @prof_dora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What did ancient Egyptians like to smell? Did they use any narcotics in their day to day lives? And what do mummified bodies smell like? Today, I'm pleased to welcome Dora Goldsmith to the podcast. Dora Goldsmith is a PhD-candidate at the Freie Universitat in Berlin, Germany. Specialising in ancient smellscapes, Dora explores how the ancient Egyptians perceived and described the scent of their world. Along the way, Dora introduces us to the favoured perfumes and flowers used by the ancients, some of their “recreational” substances, and how mummified bodies smell today. Publications by Dora Goldsmith at Academia.edu https://fu-berlin.academia.edu/DoraGoldsmith For perfumes and newsletter, email Dora Goldsmith directly at [email protected]. Learn more about her reconstructions in the Ancient Egyptian Scent Kit. Follow Dora on Instagram @prof_dora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOW PLAYING

Scent of a Mummy: Smells and Pleasure in ancient Egypt, with Dora Goldsmith

0:00 40:50

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The History of Egypt Podcast?

This episode is 40 minutes long.

When was this The History of Egypt Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on June 20, 2025.

What is this episode about?

What did ancient Egyptians like to smell? Did they use any narcotics in their day to day lives? And what do mummified bodies smell like? Today, I'm pleased to welcome Dora Goldsmith to the podcast. Dora Goldsmith is a PhD-candidate at the Freie...

Can I download this The History of Egypt Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!