From Shamans to Papyri
The History of Aromatherapy
In the Dordogne region of France, the famous Lascaux cave paintings reveal the medicinal role of plants in early human societies as far back as 18,000 BC.1 Shamans prepared simple poultices to treat injuries such as open wounds or broken bones, made infusions of flowers and decoctions of roots to fight illness and disease, and ground incense to ward off evil spirits or to attract good ones. Without scientific knowledge of plant chemistry and their complex constituents, how did primitive humans know which plants would heal and which would harm? The answer to this lies in the sense most closely linked to memory – smell.
Aromatic plants have inhabited the planet for more than 100 million years and their scent filled the air long before the arrival of humans. Plants use scent to attract insects and encourage pollination, or as a mechanism to deter pests and predators. In humans their fragrance has a more profound effect, one that would come to influence the lifestyle of primitive tribes and the development of early civilisations.
The Use of Smell and Plants in Prehistory
The reappearance of flowering shrubs and plants, and the rebirth of fruits and vegetables in the trees and soil each year was seen as miraculous by early humans. The natural world stimulated their senses through shape, colour and scent. Nomadic tribes recognised landscapes on returning to summer pastures by smell as well as sight. Instinctively, humans developed a knowledge of plants and sought them for cooking, healing and ceremony, remembering which ones to use through ‘scent memory’.
The Sense of Smell
The sense of smell is linked to a primitive part of the brain called the limbic system. When you smell, molecules carrying scent are filtered through tiny hairs in the nose called cilia, which causes a signal to be sent to the brain, resulting in a nervous reaction.2 Different reactions occur depending on the type of aroma, for example, certain scents will relax while others stimulate. Through association with scent, humans accumulated herbal wisdom. Plants with light, zesty scents could be used to cleanse and invigorate. Those with woody aromas soothed and regenerated. Floral fragrances were noted for their balancing, uplifting and aphrodisiac effects. Plants became widely used for culinary, medicinal and spiritual purposes. Their use is so ingrained in human tribal memory that they were cultivated and harvested as a valuable commodity by ancient civilisations.
Aromatherapy in Ancient Civilisations
In Ancient Egypt aromatics were widely used in daily life by from labourers and servants to the noble and royalty. The cultivation of flowers and herbs are described in papyri. Egyptologists have uncovered hundreds of recipes for plant-based products from ceremonial incense to perfumed oils for the skin and hair. The Papyrus of Ebers (1550 BCE) details the external and internal use of aromatic herbs for many different ailments – respiratory problems, gynaecological disorders, mouth and gum diseases, and skin conditions.1
Garlic was used in cooking to help prevent disease, and other herbs and spices valued for their ability to ward off sickness included aniseed, mint and parsley. Egyptian women luxuriated in scented baths and aromatherapy massages, and perfumed their hair. They even prepared a special blend of aromatics to place in the vagina to act as a spermicide.1 Egyptian perfumers were expert in understanding the emotional responses provoked by scent and blended perfumes to enliven the spirits and soothe the nerves.
The use of aromatics in Ancient Egypt was prolific, fragrance permeated every aspect of life. King Zoser’s chief architect, astronomer, scribe and famous physician, Imhotep, is referred to in some texts as the ‘grandfather of aromatherapy’. But there is evidence to suggest that the roots of aromatherapy started growing even earlier in Ancient China and India.
References
- Denise Whichello Brown.Aromatherapy. Hodder Headline, 1996, London.
- Lucinda Davis-Deacon. Collins Gem Aromatherapy. Harper Collins, 2001, Glasgow.
Ancient tribes accumulated herbal wisdom
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