News Archaeology

An old perfume bottle reveals what some ancient Romans smelled like

Chemical analyses of the contents of a 2,000-year-old flask found a familiar scent: patchouli

An ancient quartz bottle with handles on either side against a black backdrop

While the contents inside this 2,000-year-old quartz bottle didn’t smell like much when it was unsealed, chemical analyses revealed its once-heady perfume: patchouli.

Juan Manuel Román

By Javier Barbuzano

A surprisingly well-preserved perfume bottle is providing a rare olfactory window to ancient Rome — and letting in a familiar smell.

Chemical analyses of the contents of a 2,000-year-old bottle reveal that one of its ingredients was patchouli, researchers report May 23 in Heritage.