Scientists analyzed the contents of a millennium-old perfume bottle found at the site of an ancient Roman settlement and determined its composition and smell. It is reported by The Times.

A team of researchers from the University of Córdoba in Spain studied the chemical composition of a small quartz vial found at a large ancient Roman settlement near the city of Carmona in 2019. They were spirits that had weathered almost two thousand years ago. Scientists have determined that the perfume predominantly smelled of patchouli essence, an aromatic oil that is produced from the plant of the same name.

It has a fairly strong and slightly earthy aroma. Patchouli grows only in South and Southeast Asia. This means that patchouli oil was an import product in the Roman Empire. Only wealthy citizens could afford such perfumes.

A research team of historians and chemists used X-ray diffraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to analyze the ancient perfume. They found two main ingredients: a vegetable oil-based preservative—probably olive oil—which was supposed to help preserve the fragrance for a long time, and an extract from the plant Pogostemon cablin, or patchouli.

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The scientists also determined that the stopper of the vial was made of dolomite, a sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate and magnesium. From above, it was covered with bitumen, which ensured a snug fit of the cork to the neck of the quartz bottle. According to scientists, it is thanks to the airtight cork that perfume has survived to this day and has remained suitable for study, despite the fact that more than two thousand years have passed.

Earlier, during excavations, archaeologists often came across bottles and bottles with cosmetics and perfumes, but until now, scientists have mainly published works on the composition of creams and ointments. The publication of experts from the University of Cordoba is one of the first studies on the composition of ancient Roman perfumery.

Earlier it was reported about the discovery of a mysterious underwater bridge off the coast of Croatia. Scientists believe that the road was built by representatives of the Hvar culture more than seven thousand years ago.