Scientific analysis of ancient amber artifacts along the Maritime Silk Road

Abstract

Amber, highly prized in ancient times, has a wide range of applications. Archaeological evidence confirms that amber played a significant role in long-distance material exchange and trade during ancient times. Baltic amber, in particular, was extensively traded in the Near East region during the Bronze age (e.g., Todd, 1985). The emergence of the Silk Road trade additionally facilitated the spread of amber and its products in the Far East. Extensive archaeological excavations conducted across the Eurasian steppe (Treister, 2020), as well as in China and the Korean Peninsula, have yielded numerous amber artifacts originating from the Baltic Sea (e.g., Park et al., 2016; Xiao et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2022). The northern region of Myanmar served as a significant source of amber material in Asia during ancient times, and amber from this area and its products have also been discovered in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 AD) tombs in China (Chen et al., 2019; Zhao et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2023). It is generally accepted that the ancient amber artifacts in China were primarily made from amber obtained from both the Baltic region and Myanmar (e.g., Xu, 2008). However, the scarcity of amber in Iron Age sites across South and Southeast Asia impedes tour comprehensive understanding about its usage and trade among this specific area.