Pompeii incense burners reveal ancient olfactory landscape

Chemical analysis of residues found inside two ancient terracotta incense burners has provided insight into the olfactory landscape of Pompeii before its destruction by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The study, published in the journal Antiquity, was led by Johannes Eber and an international team of archaeologists and chemists.

By examining microscopic residues, including phytoliths and molecular remains of resins and oils through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, researchers discovered that domestic rituals combined local plants with aromatic resins from distant regions such as Asia and Africa. The burners were found in different settings: one in a building being converted into an inn, and another in a domestic shrine of a rural villa near Boscoreale.

The findings indicate the combustion of woody plants, species related to laurel, stone fruit trees, and various grasses, which were likely used as both fuel and religious offerings.