I read this article today and thought I’d share!
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/25/nx-s1-5332367/ancient-greece-rome-statues-smell-study-research
I’d love to have seen what the statues looked like painted and adorned so long ago!
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This makes sense. A lot of myths and older religious texts talk about anointing the head and feet with oils and burning incense as a matter of respect or honor.
Crowning was another popular act of honor or respect, not just sports winners and military heroes.
Color was sacred in many cultures, whether or not some like to admit it, often because artificial colors were hard to come by.
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That was interesting. There were no secular thoughts recorded. Everything was about religion.
Somewhere I have heard of this before. Of course anointing with oil is often mentioned so maybe that was my mind link.
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It’s an interesting article! The statues in their current forms are already pretty to see, and imagining them adorned with jewelry, paint, and perfumed oils adds so much more to the experience.
Same here! 
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