Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characteristics of ancient amber artifacts of the Han Dynasty from Hunan, China

Abstract

Here we analyze four ancient amber artifacts of the Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE) by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to reveal their origins. The FTIR results showed the presence of the Baltic shoulder band between 1210–1150 cm-1 and the weak absorption peak near 888 cm-1, so all amber artifacts analyzed here can be classified as succinite originating from the Baltic Sea area (or also Bitterfield or Ukrainian ambers which are Baltic amber coevals). Ancient amber could have been traded from the Baltic area to the Mediterranean via the amber road, and then to the East Asia along the Silk Road. Such exotic materials represent a key for the study of long-distance trade across cultures during ancient times. Very few ancient amber samples excavated in China have been analyzed scientifically so far, and more work is required.