Archaeologists in Cyprus have discovered what appears to be a 4,000-year-old factory that made fragrances for funeral and religious ceremonies.
The BBC reports that members of the Italian team have even been able to reconstitute some of the ancient perfumes, using traces remaining in old bottles, including essences of laurel, cinnamon and myrtle. Scents distilled from local plants appear to have been mixed with olive oil for the finished product.
The perfumery was part of a Bronze Age complex that included an olive press for making oil, and a copper smelter and a winery.
The archaeologists say that the complex was probably a major exporter, given the oil-storage jars with 500-gallon capacity found at the site. The complex was destroyed in an earthquake.
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