The Ancient Roots of Aromatherapy

Healing with medicinal plants is woven into the very fabric of human history.  Long before the term aromatherapy was ever coined in the 20^th century, our ancestors were observing, experimenting with and learning from the botanical world around them.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the use of plants for medicinal and ritual purposes dates back to the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods (approximately 2.6 million – 30,000 BC).  One of the most compelling discoveries comes from Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq, where pollen analysis from a Neanderthal burial site dating back around 60,000 years revealed the presence of flowering plants. While academics continue to debate whether these plants were intentionally placed for ritual or medicinal reasons, the findings strongly suggest our ancestors recognised the significance of certain botanicals within their environment.

Further insight into this ancient botanical knowledge comes from El Sidrón in northern Spain.  Analysis of the dental plaque of a 49,000-year-old Neanderthal revealed traces of non-nutritional plants, including chamomile and yarrow.  Both plants are notably bitter and offer little caloric value, yet today they are widely recognised for their therapeutic properties.  Their presence suggests not only survival instinct, but an early and intentional understanding that plants could be used to support wellbeing.

As civilisations developed, so did written records of botanical medicine.  The earliest known written evidence of medicinal plant preparations comes from ancient Mesopotamia.  A Sumerian clay tablet discovered in Nippur (modern-day Iraq), dating to around 2100 BC, lists multiple medicinal formulations incorporating plants such as poppy, henbane and mandrake, all species rich in biologically active alkaloids.  This tablet is considered one of the earliest pharmacological documents in existence and marks a pivotal moment in the formal recording of plant-based medicine. 

For me, what these discoveries affirm is something deeply important: working with essential oils and botanical extracts is not a fleeting wellness trend.  It is part of a continuum of plant knowledge that spans tens of thousands of years.

At the heart of our brand is the same reverence: a respect for the intelligence of plants, a commitment to evidence-based practice, and a belief that true well-being begins with understanding where our ingredients come from and how they have been used throughout history.

Modern aromatherapy may be refined by contemporary science and distillation techniques, but its roots are ancient.  When we formulate our home fragrance and wellbeing blends, we are participating in a lineage of botanical wisdom that stretches back to our earliest ancestors.

References

1. Biggs, R. D. (1974). Inscriptions from Tell Abu Salabikh and the earliest Mesopotamian prescriptions.  Iraq. 36 (1/2), 1-8.

2. Solecki, R. S. (1975). Shanidar IV, a Neanderthal flower burial in northern Iraq. Science, 190 (4217), 880-881.

3. Hardy, K. et all. (2012) Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus.  Naturwissenschaften, 99, 617-626.

4. Guerra-Doce, E. (2015). The origins of inebriation: Archaeological evidence for the consumption of fermented beverages and plants in prehistoric Eurasia. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. 22. 751-782.