Statues in ancient Greece and Rome were not only examples of classical beauty but also emitted pleasant scents, according to a new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology. The study’s author, Danish archaeologist Cecilie Brøns, discovered that sculptures were fragranced with substances like rose, olive oil, and beeswax.

This practice, in addition to pleasing the senses, had a symbolic role, “highlighting the religious and cultural significance of those sculptures,” as Bill Giannopoulos writes in the Greek City Times. In some cases, it even contributed to better preservation of the statues.

The ritual of scenting statues, according to Brøns, was not only for sensory pleasure but also underscored the cultural and religious importance of these artworks.

How Did Brøns Arrive at This Conclusion?

By reading ancient Greek and Roman texts, Brøns noticed references to statues with sweet fragrances. She continued her search and uncovered numerous additional references in the works of authors such as Cicero, Vitruvius, and Pausanias, among others. The sculptures mentioned in these texts were often depictions of deities.

France: A Statue of Maria Callas Now Adorns UNESCO’s Central Building in Paris
Friday, April 4, 2025, 14:00

In any case, the pleasure of these statues for the viewer was not solely visual but also olfactory, Brøns adds in her article.

This is yet another fascinating revelation following the discovery that, despite the minimalist aesthetic we associate with them today, statues in the past were decorated in vibrant colors, with jewelry, fabrics, flowers, garlands, and ribbons.

However, by the time archaeological excavations began during the Renaissance, many of these decorations were no longer present, and even the pigments had significantly faded. Those that had survived until then were destroyed after exposure to the air and sunlight.