Scent preservation, also called smell archiving, is the practice of

heritage conservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

applied to

odor An odor (American English) or odour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds ...

. Some universities have academic and practical research projects in

museology Museology or museum studies is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and education. Terminology The w ...

and

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...

for preserving scent. Aspects of scent preservation include identification, analysis, and archiving of scents. Several countries have programs for preserving scent heritage. Preserving the smell of a historic site contributes to its authenticity. Mammalian evolution and primate ancestry have led humans to appreciate scent as a necessary part of culture. Preserving volatile scents is a technical challenge. A case study presented the society of Zanzibar as having a need for scent preservation to communicate cultural elements.

References

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External links

futuristscents.com
an individual's website documenting attempts at scent preservation Odor Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage