5,000-Year-Old Baltic Amber Found on the Iberian Peninsula Suggests Ancient Trade Networks in Mediterranean Region

Trade is one of the systems that establish social relations among humans. Sometimes, the objects that are exchanged are not consumer goods, but decorative, luxury, or symbolic objects. Having trade routes means having a network of mutual support, especially in adverse conditions.

Recent archeological discoveries have revealed ancient trade routes and connections between various parts of the world. One such discovery is the oldest pieces of Baltic amber found on the Iberian Peninsula.

What Is Baltic Amber?

Baltic amber refers to fossilized resin which hardened more than 45 million years ago. It is produced in Northern Europe, from southern regions of the present day Scandinavia and the surrounding areas of the Baltic Sea.

This organic substance is made from the resin or sap of pine trees containing mixtures of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and other 40 chemicals such as iron, sodium, terpenes, and organic acids. Depending on its age and the location where it is found, Baltic amber ranges from bright to dark yellow to brownish-orange, while some appear as red or blue.

Since ancient times, Baltic amber has been used in making jewelry and ornaments, as an ingredient in perfume-making, and as a component of folk medicine. Today, pieces of amber can be worth thousands of dollars especially those that come with insects or plants. The quality of Baltic amber and its value are determined by several factors such as its content, clarity, color, age, and cut.

Ancient Mediterranean Trade Route

It was previously believed that Baltic amber did not reach the Iberian Peninsula until 2,000 B.C. At this point, this substance had become a major raw material that replaced other types of amber like Peninsular or Sicilian amber.

In a recent discovery, a team of scientists from the University of Granada and University of Cambridge have identified early pieces of Baltic amber which suggest that they were being imported earlier than previously thought. Led by Mercedes Murillo-Barroso, Marcos Martinón-Torres, and Araceli Martín Cólliga, the researchers documented the use of multiple amber deposits on the Iberian Peninsula since the Upper Paleolithic period.

The site illustrates the transition between the Middle Neolithic of the 'Sepulcrand the Late Neolithic of Véraza. Since there are no written documents during that time, the only way to study human activity is through archeological remains. The team used very precise analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy which provides the fingerprint of the amber deposits and objects.

From the result of the analysis, the experts concluded that the arrival of Baltic amber on the Iberian Peninsula took place at least in 4,000 B.C. From this point onward, this highly-valued material began to reach the region as part of a wider Mediterranean trade network connected to the southern region of France.

There is currently no evidence of Baltic amber crossing the Ebro at such an early date into the southern part of Iberian Peninsula where Sicilian amber used to be dominant as a result of the Mediterranean works. The research team believes that their discovery is something that must be understood in the context of trade during such periods of transition and change.