A team of international researchers has published the first scientific analysis of ritual incense residues from Pompeii. By examining ash from two ancient censers—one from an inn and another from a domestic shrine—they identified charred plants like oak and laurel, as well as evidence of imported frankincense from India.
This study provides the first physical evidence of ritual practices in Pompeii, moving beyond textual and illustrative sources. The discovery of imported frankincense highlights the city's extensive trade networks, while the analysis of specific scents contributes to the growing field of sensory archaeology, offering a more tangible understanding of daily and spiritual life before the eruption of Vesuvius.