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What is
History of amber?
Amber's
natural History
Amber is clearly
a very old substance that pre-dates human history,
with the age of deposits ranging from 20 to 345
million years old. The youngest amber deposits date
back to the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic Era
while the oldest can be traced back to the
Carboniferous period of the Palaeozoic Era.
It is thought
that resin producing plants had not yet evolved
before the Carboniferous period, thus there is no
record of amber being older than 345 million
years.
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Amber in human
history
The collecting of
amber can be traced to prehistoric times, with raw
pieces (uncarved) being found in various caves
across Europe. Ornaments such as beads have been
dated back to 11,000BC, while more complex objects
such as amulets have been traced to 7000BC.
Despite these
occurrences, the trade of amber is not believed to
have been significant until 3000BC and it was
during the Bronze Age that the amber trade routes
were established.
Amber was
significant to many cultures, with the ancient
Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and North American
Indians holding it in high esteem.
Many such
cultures believed the object to be the product of a
god and also to have medicinal properties, thus it
was an important item of trade. Over time, amber
has become a valued object merely due to its
aesthetic qualities and nowadays is valued amongst
collectors, artists and jewellers alike.
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