Scents of history: study hopes to recreate smells of old Europe

Researchers plan library of scents from plague repellents to early tobacco

From the pungent scent of a cigar to the gentle fragrance of roses, smells can transport us to days gone by. Now researchers are hoping to harness the pongs of the past to do just that.

Scientists, historians and experts in artificial intelligence across the UK and Europe have announced they are teaming up for a 2.8m project labelled Odeuropa" to identify and even recreate the aromas that would have assailed noses between the 16th and early 20th centuries.