Imagine stepping back in time, not just to see history, but to truly smell it! A fascinating research initiative has brought the scents of Europe’s past to life, revealing how our ancestors related to their world through olfactory experiences. Let’s embark on this fragrant journey together!

What do you think hell might smell like? For Dr. William Tullett, a British researcher, the answer lies in historical texts and vivid imagination. Within this trinity of art, science, and history, he has crafted a scent inspired by how our ancestors envisioned hell’s odor—an endeavor sparked by an intriguing project called ODEUROPA.

Running from 2021 to 2023, ODEUROPA isn’t your average research project. It harnesses the power of AI along with specialists from various fields, all dedicated to uncovering and preserving Europe’s olfactory past. The ODEUROPA Smell Explorer serves as a remarkable resource, housing over 2.4 million historical scent mentions from across the continent.

“Hell and its symbolism are essential components of European and Christian cultures,” says Dr. Tullett, an expert in the history of smell and a senior lecturer at the University of York. He dove into 16th- and 17th-century sermons, drawing on passages that evoked pungent images of sulfur, brimstone, and even some rather dramatic descriptions like “a million dead dogs.”

What a spectacle it was during the 2025 World Expo in Japan, where the ODEUROPA team showcased a dozen different historical scents alongside that famous hellish aroma. From the warm and rich notes of frankincense to the distinctive smells of Amsterdam’s canals, each scent reconnected visitors to unique cultural narratives.

Professor Inger Leemans, a cultural historian at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the project coordinator, highlighted how smells can be subjective and profoundly influenced by cultural context. While some European visitors found the scent of hell intriguingly smoky and reminiscent of grilled meals, others, particularly from Japan, found it utterly off-putting.

Enhancing Our Sense of Smell with Technology

Olfactory heritage—these captivating smells that carry cultural significance—often lacks the recognition it deserves. Historically, researching scents demanded expertise from various disciplines, making it hard to find cohesive understanding. ODEUROPA bridged this gap, uniting insights from history, art, chemistry, and heritage science.

But recreating the scent of hell was just one facet of their work. The ODEUROPA team created an Olfactory Heritage Toolkit that documents significant scents and smell-rich places, hoping to inspire both heritage researchers and policymakers to protect olfactory treasures.

“Smell has a unique ability to connect people to history,” Dr. Tullett points out. Museums are increasingly embracing this idea, using scent to enrich visitors’ experiences. A scent-based tour developed at Museum Ulm in Germany, for instance, invites visitors to engage more deeply with the past.

To help revive these forgotten scents, researchers trained AI models to sift through an astonishing array of 43,000 images and 167,000 historical texts in six languages, uncovering references to smells from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. This treasure trove of knowledge led to knowledge graphs, which beautifully weave together context and meaning, making this rich olfactory history accessible to everyone.

Finding Inspiration Across Borders

Even before the Expo, ODEUROPA was inspired by innovative scent preservation efforts in Japan. The Japanese government identified 100 notable smellscapes, reminding us how deeply intertwined scents are with identity and memory. Maki Ueda, a Japanese olfactory artist, emphasizes that engaging with the world of scent can be incredibly powerful and enlightening.

“Smell was once a fundamental part of our culture,” Ueda shares. “We’ve lost some of that sensitivity today, but engaging with olfactory art reignites that connection.”

Rekindling a Forgotten Sense

Leemans emphasizes that smell has been unfairly overlooked, yet it’s making a comeback. “Everyone has a wealth of olfactory knowledge that often remains untapped,” she notes, eager to help people rediscover their connections to scents.

As a captivating symbol of this collaboration, Leemans has even left behind an AI avatar in Osaka to continue sharing ODEUROPA’s discoveries with Expo attendees. The opportunity for future partnerships with Japanese counterparts remains bright, fostering an exchange of ideas that celebrates the cultural significance of scents.

“Together, there are endless possibilities as we explore and learn from each other,” she concludes, leaving us with an optimistic and fragrant vision for the future.

This article was originally published in Horizon the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.