Date:

Amber circulated in extensive Mediterranean exchange networks in Late Prehistory

New archaeological evidence from the Iberian Peninsula reveals extensive Mediterranean exchange networks of amber resources in Late Prehistory, according to a study published in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Mercedes Murillo-Barroso from Universidad de Granada, Spain, and colleagues.

Amber is a highly valued and unusual gemstone made of fossilized tree resin. Archaeological studies traced the exchange networks of amber raw material and decorative objects in Europe back to the Late Paleolithic (40,000 to 8,000 years BC), but the precise geographical range of these trade routes was unclear. The new evidence comes from a variety of archaeological and geological localities across the Iberian Peninsula.

- Advertisement -

Infrared spectroscopy analyses on 22 amber samples from Portugal and Spain, dating between 4,000 to 1,000 years BC, confirmed previous research showing that in Northern Iberia amber was mostly of local origin, while in the rest of the Peninsula amber objects came from Sicily or the Baltic region. By combining this data with available archaeological information, the authors found that Sicilian amber arrived in Iberia earlier than previously thought, at least from 4,000 years BC. After a decline in amber consumption and trade with the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 2,000 years BC, an influx of Baltic amber gradually replaced the Sicilian amber in Iberia since around 1,000 years BC.

These findings suggest the Iberians engaged in extensive Mediterranean exchange networks in Late Prehistory, and support previous hypotheses on the origin of amber resources in Iberia during this period.

Murillo-Barroso notes: “We have overcome traditional challenges in attempts at assigning corroded amber to a geological source. Thanks to this new work, we now have evidence of the arrival of Sicilian amber in Iberia since the 4th Millennium BC at least. This amber appears at southern Iberian sites and its distribution is similar to that of ivory, so perhaps Sicilian amber reached Iberia through North African contacts.”

Co-author Marcos Martinón-Torres adds: “From the Late Bronze Age we see Baltic amber at a large number of Iberian sites. What’s peculiar is that this amber appears associated to iron, silver and ceramics that point to Mediterranean connections. This suggests that amber from the North may have moved South across the Central Europe before being shipped to the West by Mediterranean sailors, challenging previous suggestions of direct trade between Scandinavia and Iberia.”

- Advertisement -

PLOS 

Header Image – Some of the amber objects analyzed: Credit –  Murillo-Barroso et al., 2018

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

The mystery of a 1940’s Ford Woody discovered on USS Yorktown shipwreck

During a recent expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping project, NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partners discovered a 1940s Ford Woody on the wreck of the USS Yorktown.

Roman phallus found at frontier fortress

Excavations at Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall have unearthed a miniature phallus pendant.

Ancient underground chamber discovery in Cnoc Ard

A construction project in Cnoc Ard (Knockaird) on the Isle of Lewis has revealed a stone-built underground chamber, later identified by archaeologists as a Late Iron Age souterrain.

Caral burial unearthed at Áspero: Elite woman found remarkably preserved

Archaeologists from the Caral Archaeological Zone (ZAC), led by Dr. Ruth Shady Solís from the Ministry of Culture, have discovered a well-preserved burial at the Áspero archaeological site in Barranca Province, Peru.

Mesolithic figurine found in Damjili Cave offers new clues to Neolithic transition

A stone figurine discovered in Damjili Cave, western Azerbaijan, is providing archaeologists with new insights into the cultural and symbolic transition from the Mesolithic to Neolithic in the South Caucasus.

Bite marks confirm gladiators fought lions at York

A recent study published in PLOS One has identified bite marks on human remains excavated from Driffield Terrace, a Roman cemetery on the outskirts of York, England.

Treasures of the Alanian culture found in Alkhan-Kala necropolis

Archaeologists have discovered an intact burial mound containing the tomb of an Alanian elite during excavations at Alkhan-Kala west of Grozny, Chechnya.

Significant archaeological discoveries near Inverness

Archaeologists have made several major discoveries at the site of the upcoming Old Petty Championship Golf Course at Cabot Highlands, near Inverness, Scotland.