Or that's what I believe it would've smelled! I just recieved this packet of frankincense today, the incense itself smells kinda floral/fruity, mostly apricot! An incense burner next to Honorius. Here's a coin from the Himyarites of Yemen, 1st century AD, known for exclusively trading frankincense and myrrh with the Romans.
Nice! Here are three nymphs, each with a thymiaterion (incense burner). Lucius Verus, AD 161-169. Roman Provincial Æ assarion, 4.23 g, 18 mm. Thrace, Augusta Trajana, AD 161-169. Obv: ΑV ΚΑΙ Λ ΑV-ΡΗ ΟVΗΡΟϹ, bare head, right. Rev: ΑV-Γ-ΟV-ϹΤΗϹ | ΤΡΑΙΑΝΗϹ, three nymphs, stolate, standing facing, arms draped on each other's shoulders and holding thymiateria at sides. Refs: RPC IV 10343 (temporary); Schonert-Geiss 89; Varbanov II 909; Moushmov (1912) --; Moushmov Online 2987A; Staal, pl. 2, fig. 12.[1]
Ah yes, frankincense and myrrh. I bought some here locally after I returned from Egypt, where it was burned in the outdoor cafes and souks to help with the smell of the streets.
Very nice Quinarius, @JayAg47 ! I made my room smell like a Roman palace! LOL, I though maybe you had put it in your food, and had some later “results...”. My Frankincense Arabia Felix, Himyarite Kings, Tha’ Ran Ya’ NB Ar Unit (Quinarius), 14mm, 1.5g, 5h; Raidan mint, 2nd Century AD. Obv.: Head right, within circular torque, monogram behind. Rev.: Head right, scepter before, kings name and mint in South Arabian Script around. Ref: Munro-Hay 3.25 His comments: Here is a small, ancient Yemeni silver coin, of the Himyarite Kingdom. The Himyarites occupied the area of Southern Arabia known to Romans as Arabia Felix. They produced the frankincense that their Arab cousins, the Nabataeans, exported to the northern world. By the time this coin was minted, however, the Romans had discovered a sea route from Alexandria to Arabia Felix, severely limiting the Nabataean overland trade. The Romans traded extensively with the ancient Yemeni, so I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that these coins are roughly the same weight and fineness of early Imperial quinarii. The script is Ancient South Arabian. Ex: @John Anthony
It's a compelling thought. Smell is such a powerful prompt, and we still can't properly record or replay them, much less Google-search on them. Living in the hygiene-obsessed, climate-controlled, livestock-isolating US, though, I'm guessing it would be really hard for most of us to set up a true recreation -- and that, if we could, we wouldn't like it very much...
Here's a baroque medal of Pope Alexander VIII that I sold a few years back, featuring an elaborate thurible and some of the best smoke I've ever seen on a medal...
It wasn't uncommon to have pigs, chickens, cows, and mules walking down the streets, hence the aromatic nature of the mostly dirt roads. Since it hardly ever rains the dirt/sand is hard packed. The pigs mostly are owned by Coptic Christians, as they are considered unclean by the Muslims.
Not to mention that they used a sponge on a stick dipped in a common bucket to wipe their bums at the communal commode. I'm sure they were accustomed to the effervescent wafts of their lifetime.
We lived in a small town in Germany (Lutzelhausen) for 3 yrs in the 1970's. Early, every morning, like clockwork, they would run the livestock from the center of town out to the pastures, then reverse procedure in the evening. (We had the best butcher shop!!!)...& they kept the streets clean daily! It was really charming! (I don't remember being bothered by the "aroma". )
As we're accustomed to ours. Imagine future students, imagining us today, breathing a noxious mix of exhaust fumes, and plasticizers, and scented body products...
Except the problem is a black steer stepped on my foot in Dahshur. I was thinking it might be the new APIS bull but alas it was not. Luckily I had steel toed boots on.
