Karl van Dyke ‘The Perfumery in the Ancient World’

Perfumes have always been a part of the ancient world, linking the attractive smells of Nature directly to the human condition. While we think of perfumes as cosmetics, masking natural odours or acting as attractants, they have also been a part of human rituals, linked to marriage, religious ritual and the rituals associated with death and the afterlife.

Then, as now, perfumes have also been linked to the luxurious side of industry. The production and extraction of essence, its trade, the manufacture and distribution of the finished and packaged product and the wealth to be made from it, meant that perfumes were an important part of life for the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, among others in the ancient world. This presentation will look at various aspects of this broad and engaging industry that exploited plants available to ancient people.

Karl Van Dyke is currently the Director of the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Macquarie University. He has taught in Museum Studies at Macquarie University and was President of the National University Museums Group for five years. He has a background in Archaeology and Ancient History and has taught for a number of years in state and private high schools in Ancient and Modern History and English. He also has a long-held interest in horticulture, having done many general interest courses at Ryde Horticultural College; he completed a Diploma in Bonsai at that College studying under Len Webber and has maintained his interest in bonsai ever since.