"Mention "perfume" and one might first envision fragrant liquids in fancy flacons. Yet its name itself, derived from the Latin "per fumum" meaning "through smoke" indicates that what we understand as "perfume" today differs vastly from its origins and uses among our ancestors. Its permeation through time is also a study in scientific breakthrough, knowledge transfer, trade expansion, colonialism and natural resource extraction, and latter-day Eurocentric marketing."
"Scent as old as time Britannica states that the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks and Romans were all reportedly familiar with perfumery. References to perfume and its use are also found in the Bible as well as the Hadith (the sayings or actions) of the Prophet Muhammad. Early perfumery dating back over 4,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia involved burning aromatic substances like frankincense and myrrh, in the belief that the upward curling smoke bridged earth to the divine."
"In fact, the earliest recorded "nose" or highly skilled master perfumer was a woman named Tapputi, a chemist whose works in Mesopotamia were documented on a cuneiform tablet dated around 1,200 B.C. "Tapputi was a muraqqitu, a distinct professional category of specialist perfumers attached to Assyrian and Babylonian courts her importance lies in attesting to women occupying a highstatus, 'perfumistic' role in royal courts," perfumer and historian Alexandre Helwani tells DW."
The word perfume derives from the Latin per fumum, meaning "through smoke." Perfume originally referred to burning aromatic substances, incense, and smoke offerings used across ancient civilizations, including China, India, Egypt, Israel, Carthage, Arabia, Greece and Rome. References to scented substances appear in the Bible and the Hadith. Early Mesopotamian perfumery more than 4,000 years ago involved frankincense and myrrh and the belief that smoke bridged earth and the divine. The earliest recorded master perfumer, Tapputi, was a Mesopotamian chemist. Over time perfume encompassed scented oils, balms, unguents and other fragrant materials and practices. Modern perfumery grew through science, trade, colonial extraction and Eurocentric marketing.
Read at www.dw.com
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