Ancient Egyptians at all levels of society were extremely concerned with scent and cleanliness and used an array of aromatics and essential oils to suit all occasions, both in this life and the next. Joann Fletcher investigates the extensive evidence in artistic, literary and archaeological sources and provides a guide to various oils and perfumes favoured by the ancient Egyptians. She looks at where they came from, how they were produced and stored and at the different ways in which they were used - practical, therapeutic, social, religious and funerary. Finally she suggests a number of ways to indulge yourself in true ancient Egyptian style.
Dr. Joann Fletcher is Honorary Research Fellow at York University and consultant Egyptology at Harrogate Museums and Arts. She specializes in the history of mummification and has studied mummies on site in Egypt, Yemen and South America as well as in museum collections around the world. Recently she led groundbreaking work in Egypt's Valley of the Kings to re-examine three royal mummies, one of which may be that of Nefertiti - news that has attracted international coverage. She has made nuerous appearances on television as well as radio, and writes for both The Guardian newspaper and the BBC's History Online website. Her publications include Egypt's Sun King: Amenhotep III, The Egyptian Book of Living and Dying and The Oils and Perfumes of Ancient Egypt, and she has contributed sections in several major guide books to Egypt.