What Roman homes smelled like – results of an unusual study

Researchers applied chemical and microscopic analysis to the contents of ritual vessels from Pompeii, preserved under ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The results showed that Pompeians used not only local incense but also exotic resins from Asia, Arabia, and Africa, confirming the scale of international trade in the Roman Empire.

A new study, reported by The Independent, has allowed scientists to determine what the homes of Pompeii's residents smelled like shortly before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Archaeologists had long found clay and bronze incense burners in the ruins, but the exact composition of the incense remained a mystery. Applying advanced chemical and microscopic analysis to the contents preserved under ash, researchers discovered not only traditional laurel, stone fruits, grapes, and wine but also traces of rare tree resins from the Burseraceae family. This is the first direct archaeological confirmation of the use of such exotic incense in private homes. The aromatic resins were delivered to Italy from the tropical forests of Asia, Arabia, and Sub-Saharan Africa via the Red Sea and Alexandria. Archaeologist Johannes Eber from the University of Zurich noted that the combination of modern techniques opens a new era in the study of antiquity, allowing us to recreate the sensory experience of people who lived nearly two thousand years ago.