Research

William Gerard Zimmerle is the PI (and Director) of the Research Project at NYUAD: Ra'eha رائحة: The Digital Heritage Library of Arabian Incense and Perfumes, Traditional Pharmaceuticals, and Fine Fragrances.

Using the southern Arabian Peninsula (the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as a heritage landscape of scent, I am ethnographically mapping perfume, pharmaceutical, and incense-making traditions (the tangible and intangible) in the Arabian Peninsula, and investigating how the fine fragrance global industry has changed historically in time. At its core, the project defines and identifies the molecular biomarkers of natural Arabian and East African aromatics for cultural heritage and archaeological studies. We continue to develop innovative techniques for analyzing the features of gum resins such as frankincense and myrrh using organic residue analysis (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS) from sampling archaeological artifacts including incense burners and amphora from the GCC.

Arabian Perfumes and Fine Fragrance

Summary of Research

Using the United Arab Emirates as a heritage landscape of scent, I am ethnographically mapping perfumery and incense-making traditions and smells in the Arabian Peninsula, and investigating how the fine fragrance industry has changed globally in time.

Aromatics and Scents of the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa

Summary of Research

The project defines and identifies the molecular biomarkers of natural Arabian and East African aromatics for cultural heritage and archaeological studies. We have developed innovative techniques for analyzing their features using organic residue analysis (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS).