*3.3. Camphor from Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood)*

Camphor (C10H16O, 152 MW, 14.19 min at Brandeis, 15.7 min at Penn)

Camphor is a bicyclic terpenoid ketone that is a white (or clear) waxy crystal with a strong, pungent aromatic odor. While camphor appears in a number of species in trace amounts, the significant quantities recovered direct us to the *Artemisia* genus (e.g., wormwood) as the likely botanical source, where it appears in quantities upwards of 210,000 ppm [26]. While camphor also appears in particularly large quantities in *Cinnamomum camphora* (i.e., camphor tree), at upwards of 220,000 ppm, the latter originates in East Asia and is unlikely to occur in a Mediterranean context at this early date. *Artemisia* plants are hardy shrubs that grow in dry or semi-dry climates, such as the Mediterranean, and are known for their volatile oils. Due to its extremely bitter taste, plants in this genus have traditionally been used for medicinal and aromatic purposes (Dioscorides, *De Materia Medica* III.23.1-6), rather than flavoring [19,29]. Camphor has traditionally been used as a pest repellent and antimicrobial agent as well as the initiating top scent, or head note, in spicy perfumes such as Yves St. Laurent's "Jazz." It remained one of the most popular perfume ingredients in the early Arab world [19], affirming its long history of use in aromatics.
