Accounts vary as to how and when
aromatherapy first came into use, but we know for sure that it was at least
6,000 years ago.
Archeologists’ discoveries offer
undeniable proof of aromatherapy uses. For instance mummified body cavities are
usually packed with herbs and spices such as cedarwood,
cloves, myrrh, nutmeg and cinnamon.
These discoveries are the earliest known technique of embalming.
Ancient Egyptians used perfumed
plant matter to make them smell good and as the base for cosmetics. We also
know that they burned gums and resins to make incense for their religious
ceremonies. For example, they burned
frankincense at sunrise as an offering to the gods. Over time it appears that
oils like sesame and olive were combined with fragrant plants and used to
massage the human body. We know too that in 3,000 BC Egyptians were importing
the highly aromatic myrrh. We know that the Egyptian god of healing, Imhotep prescribed scented oils for massage, bathing and as
already mentioned, embalming.
Greeks and Romans practiced aromatherapy as
well. Hippocrates,
who is considered to be the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy in
healing, and it’s believed that he fought the plague of Athens
with fumes as well. Aromatherapy was also practiced in ancient China.
We know for a fact that they burned incense to create harmony and balance in
the atmosphere of a room. We will talk more about that later in this chapter.
As trade routes opened to include
Africa, southern Arabia, and India,
and the known world expanded, explorers often brought back fragrant plants,
woods, grasses, resins and other substances, broadening the base of materials
used in extracting essential oils. That also meant that they were taking the
existing knowledge from their countries into other regions and sharing
application secrets.
