Figure 1 Scent of Status: Prestige and Perfume at Pylos, Greece | 24
Related Figures (4)
ile - ear B evidence, the perfume produced at Pylos had an ranced by spices, herbs, and flowers. It seems to have had two for re liquid one (OLE which signifies oil) and a thicker un- guent ty A) (Shelmerdine 1985:31). Several of the tablets deal with raw material§ (Am 616r, Un 249, Un 267, and Un 592 kept in Archive room 7-8 [see Figure 12-4)¥ (Shelmerdine 1985:8). They include references to the basic oil from both palatial stores and from outside the palace; coriander and cyperus, which were lightly scented spices and astringents used to prepare the oil for the final fragrance; and henna (Un 267), which was probably used to dye the oil (Shelmer- dine 1985:17—23, 151). In the disbursement tablets (the Fr series), there are refer- ences to rose-, sage-, and cyperus-scented oils (Shelmerdine 1985:25) olive-oil base t (Shelmerdine 1985:13). The spices a ere ground and then mixed in, and the mixture was heated with eith or indirect heat. Finally, the botanical remains were strained from ae wool, and fresh spices and herbs were added. In the Assyrian meth romatics were put in hot water several times before adding the oil. It? wn which method was used at Pylos; either procedure, however, w vedncluded heating the oil, in agreement with the indications of tablet U and would therefore have created fragrant vapors.
