The eau de cologne that reminded [poet and composer Constantijn] Huygens of his mother is flowery but spicy too, with ingredients such as rose, lavender, thyme, marjoram, clove and cinnamon. It's a different scent from today's perfumes. It has a bit more oomph. "It's a nice scent," says reader in English literature Nadine Akkerman, who is studying correspondence networks and knowledge exchange for the project. The eau de cologne is meant to be sprayed around the house rather than used as a perfume.

— Read more in Researchers recreate 17th-century perfume by Constantijn Huygens at Phys.org. (And there is a lovely presentation of the project here.)

This world premier will now in all probability be followed by another one: "The desiccated residues of a fluid can be clearly discerned in the x-ray photographs," the museum´s curator explains. "Our pharmacologists are now going to analyse this sediment." The results could be available in a good year´s time. If they are successful, the scientists in Bonn are even hoping to "reconstruct" the perfume so that, 3,500 years after the death of the woman amongst whose possessions it was found, the scent could then be revitalised.

— Scientists at Bonn University will try to reconstruct the perfume of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, a "power-conscious woman" who ruled Egypt until her death in 1457 B.C. Read more in What Scents Did The Ancient Egyptians Use? at ScienceDaily.