Sacrifice Before the Cataclysm: The Aromas of Pompeii's Household Altars

The Aromas of Pompeii: Incense Burners on Ancient Altars Reveal the Secrets of a Lost World

Censer no. 2 in situ in the domestic shrine at Boscoreale. Credit: Johannes Eber / CC BY 4.0 Pompeii’s household rituals carried scents from far beyond the Roman world. A new study of residues inside two ancient incense burners from household altars suggests that people in and around Pompeii burned local plants along with imported aromatic resin, offering rare evidence that daily worship in the city was tied to long-distance trade. The study, pu…

Sacrifice before the cataclysm: The aromas of Pompeii's household altars

The destruction of Pompeii preserved ash residues on the household altars of its inhabitants. An international research team has scientifically investigated for the first time what was burned in Roman incense burners from Pompeii—and discovered something surprising: In addition to native plants, the people used imported aromatic substances from Africa or Asia. This indicates that Pompeii was part of a global trade network.

Sacrifice before the cataclysm: the aromas of Pompeii’s household altars

30.03.2026 - An international team of researchers from the University of Zurich, LMU and further partners investigated ash residues from incense burners. The substances they discovered show that Pompeii was part of a global trade network.