Amber provenance as a Chrono-Cultural Proxy: Insights from FTIR analysis in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

In recent years, significant advancements have occurred in our comprehension of amber consumption patterns in the Iberian Peninsula. This progress stems from the increasing volume of FTIR data related to both archaeological and geological amber. Consequently, a chronological model has been established, delineating amber consumption in the Iberian Peninsula from the Late Paleolithic to the Iron Age. Broadly, local amber consumption has been minimal since the Paleolithic period. Sicilian amber makes its appearance in Iberia around the 5th millennium BCE and fades away in the 2nd millennium BCE, giving way to Baltic amber, which has remained the sole source since then. The well-defined chronological model, the abundance of FTIR provenance data, and the infrequent association of amber with absolute or relative dates prompt us to explore whether provenance can serve as a chrono-cultural proxy for amber beads. This study introduces new amber finds, presents fresh FTIR data on archaeological amber ornaments, and incorporates minor updates and bug fixes to the general catalog. It is the outcome of a thorough bibliographic review and on-site analysis and examination of the beads. The results obtained in this study enable the reconstruction of amber consumption throughout Iberian prehistory, drawing on 29 newly FTIR-analyzed ambers from 9 sites. Our findings expand the empirical foundation, facilitating the confirmation of diachronic changes in amber consumption. Importantly, they affirm that amber provenance can indeed be employed as a viable chrono-cultural proxy.