Researchers from the University of Córdoba are decisively determining the composition of a unique artifact – the ancient Roman aromatic koi ointment, which has survived to this day. The ointment was placed in an “ungentarium” vessel, which carefully purchased a cork made of dolomite and bitumen. The vessel was placed inside the urn with the ashes of a noble woman, and after 2000, let it be found by archaeologists in Ypalniece during construction work in the Spanish Carmona.
Despite the quality of preservation, the smell of the ointment does not appear – but there are enough traces of the substance by which it was possible to determine its chemical composition. The study showed that the ointment was made from patchouli plants with bone tissue from vegetable oil. Today it is a popular perfume among lovers of spiritual practices, representatives of the New Age culture and hippies.
The find from Carmona is unique because there was no previous collection of patchouli in ancient Rome. This is not surprising, because the plant comes from India and in those days it could only be available to very rich people. In addition, the ungentarium itself was carved from hyaline quartz, a product of very intensive, delicate and laborious work. The Romans preferred practical and inexpensive blown glass containers for cosmetic storage, so you can’t assume that the warehouse was ordered specifically for storing expensive and rare ointments.
Source: Tech Cult
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