The world's oldest perfumes have been found on Cyprus by a team of archaeologists.

The perfumes were scented with extracts of lavender, bay, rosemary, pine or coriander and kept in tiny, translucent alabaster bottles. The remaining traces found in Pyrgos, in the south of the island, are more than 4000 years old.

The scents were discovered inside what archaeologists believe was an enormous, 4000sq m factory.

Italian archaeological team leader Maria Rosa Belgiorno said: "We were astonished at how big the place was. Perfumes must have been pro­ duced on an industrial scale."

The abundance of perfumes fits well with the mythological status of Cyprus as the birthplace of Aphro­ dite, the Greek goddess of love.

said: "The myth of the goddess was strongly linked to the perfume she used to get what she wanted."

The finds are on display at the Capitoline Museum in Rome . Four of the perfumes have been recreated from residues found at the site.

An Italian foundation which aims to recreate antique traditions distilled them according to techniques described by Pliny the Elder, by grinding the herbs, adding them to oil and water, then burying them in a small, long-necked jug over hot embers for 12 hours.

Museum visitor Alessia Affinata, 30, said: "They smell good but strong."