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New project to recreate smells from centuries ago

Historic Smells - Level 4

What did the sixteenth century smell like? Scientists, historians and experts will find out. There is a $3.3 million project to find and recreate aromas from the 16th century. The project is called "Odeuropa". It will research our cultural heritage of smells and develop an online encyclopaedia. This will include biographies of smells that are specific to the past. It will also contain insights into the emotions created by the smells in past centuries.

The team said: "Smells shape our experience of the world, yet we have little sensory information about the past." It will research what the key scents are that have shaped our cultures. Researchers will extract "smell data" from digital text and put it in a database. This will safeguard our "olfactory heritage". The team wants people to know many smells. It said it will: "Encourage people to consider both the foul and the fragrant elements of [our] olfactory past."

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Historic Smells - Level 5

What did the sixteenth century smell like? A team of researchers wants to find out. Scientists, historians and experts have embarked on a $3.3 million project to identify and recreate the aromas from the 16th and early 20th centuries. The project is called "Odeuropa: Negotiating Olfactory and Sensory Experiences in Cultural Heritage Practice and Research". They will develop an online encyclopaedia of smells that will include biographies of those that are specific to past times. The website will include insights into the emotions created by the smells in bygone centuries.

The team said: "Smells shape our experience of the world, yet we have little sensory information about the past." It lists questions it hopes researchers will answer. These are: "What are the key scents...that have shaped our cultures? How can we extract sensory data from...digital text? How can we represent smell...in a database? How should we safeguard our olfactory heritage? And - Why should we?" The team wants people to be aware of many smells. It said: "We are trying to encourage people to consider both the foul and the fragrant elements of Europe's olfactory past."

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Historic Smells - Level 6

Would you like to know what the sixteenth century smelled like? A team of researchers is trying to find out. Scientists, historians and experts in smells have embarked on a $3.3 million project to identify and even recreate the aromas that filled the air between the 16th and early 20th centuries. The project is called "Odeuropa: Negotiating Olfactory and Sensory Experiences in Cultural Heritage Practice and Research". The goal is to develop an online encyclopaedia of smells, including biographies of distinct odours that are specific to past times. The website will reveal insights into the emotions aroused by the smells in bygone centuries and the places associated with certain scents.

The project website says: "Smells shape our experience of the world, yet we have very little sensory information about the past." It lists a series of questions it hopes researchers will answer. These are: "What are the key scents...that have shaped our cultures? How can we extract sensory data from large-scale digital text and image collections? How can we represent smell in all its facets in a database? How should we safeguard our olfactory heritage? And - Why should we?" Team leader Dr William Tullett wants people to be aware of an array of smells, pleasant and unpleasant. He said: "We are trying to encourage people to consider both the foul and the fragrant elements of Europe's olfactory past."

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson