Bronze Age perfume 'discovered'

[emad]

By Tabitha Morgan
BBC News, Nicosia


A team of Italian archaeologists working in Cyprus believe they have discovered the site of an ancient perfume factory from the Bronze Age.

The 4,000-year-old perfumery is thought to have manufactured fragrances for export across the Eastern Mediterranean.

The factory is thought to have formed part of a complex of buildings - a sort of Bronze Age industrial estate. It included an olive press, a winery and a copper smelting works.

Scientists have reconstituted 12 different perfumes from traces of scents found in dozens of clay bottles at the site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4364469.stm

[donco6]

1. I think our Egyptian tour bus dropped us off there

<sarcastic>

That's the line they use to get you to buy stuff at their brother's cousin's mother-in-law's perfumery "wear the perfume of the ancient Egyptians!"

[candy]

2. I think there's some Bronze Age perfume in my bathroom cabinet!

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Well, I think this is real cool. Shows that the commerce of the

ancient world was far more complex than our history books lead us to believe.