Fine, imported scents are typically identified as luxury products by Egyptologists due to the question of access. From the offering of scented oils as royal gifts to the complex embalming practices of the wealthiest ancient Egyptians, aromatic mixtures are regularly assumed to be restricted to the privileged. In this presentation, I question this assumption by considering the existence of a scent industry in New Kingdom Egypt and whether the mechanisms of inter-state trade might have allowed for greater access to these products by more people at this time.
