Origin and myth
Although found in northern Europe and Sicily, amber used in ancient Mediterranean culture mostly came from the Baltic region. Amber rough stone, as a resin fossil of trees, is naturally washed to the beach, where it is collected, and then cut, carved and polished to become exquisite jewelry and decorations. There are all kinds of myths to explain where this wonderful material comes from, especially one repeated by Ovid. The Roman writer described an ancient belief that amber was nothing more than the sad tears of Clementine and her daughters. Phaeton When Clemens handsome young son tried to ride his father's sun chariot Helius across the sky, he foolishly lost control of it. In order to prevent the earth from being scorched by the sunset, Zeus had to knock down Phaeton with one of his lightning. Therefore, the Greeks called amber "electron" and named it after its name representing the sun.
Amber is soft and is an ideal material for cutting and carving jewelry such as beads.
Other ancient writers claimed that amber was solidified light captured in some way when the sun shone on the earth. Other theories believe that it comes from a remote Ethiopian temple, an Indian river, the tears of birds mourning the death of the hero meleager, and even the urine of lynx-the male version is brighter than the female. Although the stories and explanations may be rich and colorful, the ancients themselves may have taken a healthy pinch of salt on them, just like we do now, because Aristotle and other writers have long recognized that amber is a kind of "hardened resin" and many amber myths are involved, so in any case, they are not far from the truth.
Later, in the 1 century, the Roman writer Pliny the Elder tried to classify and describe all the precious stones and materials in his natural history. In chapter 1 1- 12 of Volume 37, he described amber in detail. He pointed out that this is a relatively common substance and is often traded. He tried to think of a reason why it is so popular: "So far, luxury goods have not been able to design any reason to use it." He refuted the myth of the God of Law and many other legends repeated by Greek writers from Aeschylus to euripides. Then, he went on to debunk all the claims about the geographical origin of amber, although he mentioned Phytheas in the process, pointing out that it was washed up on the German coast. Pliny generally agreed with Phytheas, pointing out that Germanic tribes called it amber glaesum, which originally came from pine trees. He said that if amber is burnt, it will be obvious because it smells like pine trees. He also knows that it is liquid at first, because sometimes trapped insects can be seen in larger fragments. He didn't grasp the concept of petrochemical, but interpreted the hardening of resin as an ocean process in a sense.
Tacitus, a Roman historian from BC/KLOC-0 to the 2nd century AD, described the collection of amber and its tribes on the German coast as follows:
They even explore the ocean; It is the only country that collects amber. They call it Glese, and it is collected in shallows and coasts. Because barbarians are usually indifferent, they don't ask or determine what natural objects it comes from or by what means. For a long time, it was thrown into other things in the sea and ignored until our luxury gave it a name. It is useless to them, they collect it in rough places; Leave it untreated; And want to know the price they received. However, it seems to be the secretion of some trees; Because you can often see reptiles and even winged animals shining through it. When it is in a liquid state, they are entangled in it and become closed when it hardens. Therefore, I should imagine that just as the dense forests in the hidden places in the East exude frankincense and balsam, so do the islands and continents in the West; Under the recent sunshine, their liquid juice dripped into the sea below, and then was thrown to the other side under the action of the storm. Amber, if tested by fire, will ignite like a torch with a strong smell; Now it is decomposed into viscous substances like asphalt or resin. (now it breaks down into sticky substances such as asphalt or resin. (now it breaks down into sticky substances such as asphalt or resin. (Germany, 45 years old)
characteristic
Amber is relatively soft, so it is an ideal material for cutting and carving beads and other forms of jewelry. Saws, files and drills are used to create the required shapes and sculptural designs. Since the Bronze Age, ancient jewelers have been very good at carving harder semi-precious materials, such as carnelian and garnet, so amber has no special challenge to their ability. Another advantage of amber is that it can be polished with abrasives to produce attractive luster. An obvious disadvantage of this material is its easy degradation. As time goes on, amber will fade and become more opaque when exposed to air. Many ancient amber works don't look as impressive today as they did when they were first made.
Because no one knows where it came from, it is already mysterious. Many ancient people thought that amber was a mysterious material that could protect the wearer in some way. The use of amulets for this purpose is particularly common in ancient Egypt and Greece, so amber is a good choice to make objects (almost anything, from miniature representations of gods to body parts) more powerful. People believe that amber can not only prevent misfortune, but also cure it. For example, in Roman cemeteries, especially those in northwest provinces, there are often children's tombs with amber beads, which are probably placed there as amulets.
People believe that amber can not only prevent misfortune, but also cure it.
Pliny pointed out in his natural history that some people think that amber can help solve problems related to tonsils, mouth and throat, as well as mental disorders and bladder problems. Amber is even ground and mixed with rose oil and honey to treat eye and ear infections. Considering that amber is a natural substance after all, and it contains succinic acid, which was used in medicine before antibiotics were used, perhaps the ancient belief in its medicinal quality was not so illusory.
Finally, the ancients noticed that amber was attractive when rubbed (and thus produced a negative charge). The ability to attract light objects such as hay or wheat bran led Persians to call amber Carruba or "straw robber". This is another quality that increases the mystery and charm of amber.
Historical use
The earliest amber workshops in the Baltic Sea can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. The trade links between the Bronze Age and later cultures ensured that amber spread all over Europe, mainly due to Germanic and Central European tribes who wanted to turn amber into metal for their own use or trade with British and Scandinavian tribes. Maritime merchants like Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians helped amber spread to further places. Amber flows through the river from the Baltic Sea, from west jutland to the Adriatic Sea along the northern Italian trough. From there, it was taken to the Levant and the Near East by sea merchants. Amber beads were also found in northern and central France and Iberian Peninsula in ancient times.
Artifacts made of this material have been found in bronze age sites such as Ugarit, Akana, Crete, Minos (even rarer) and Mycenae (especially Thebes). Tests on amber found in Mycenae Shatt's tomb show that it mainly comes from the Baltic Sea. Similar tests showed that many amber fragments found in the Near East came from Mycenae's workshop. Amber beads found in the sunken ship of Ulubulun in the Bronze Age further prove the amber trade in this period.
Perhaps because of its rarity, amber is particularly precious in the Near East, where it is mainly reserved for royal power and status, and even becomes a symbol of royal power and status. Pastors are another group that wears amber as a distinguishing symbol. Tests show that amber found in the Levant and the Near East comes from the Baltic Sea. Amber is rare in ancient Egypt, but amber beaded jewelry and rings were found in several tombs there.
In the Iron Age, the east coast of Italy became an amber expert to some extent, especially Pisum, which was very prosperous in the production of amber goods. Villanovan Verucchio (former Etruscan site) is another manufacturing center in the 9th century BC, with female tombs, especially discs made of amber, which are used to make earrings, necklaces, spindles, sewing clothes ornaments and strange leech-shaped fibula, made of individually carved fragments and bronze. During this period, "fake" amber from resin fossils of Levant trees was also found in these places.
Amber products are the same characteristics of ancient Greek art, but this material seems to be out of date in the classical period. Amber continues to be produced in central Italy, and Etruscans use materials to produce jewelry and statues of animals and people.
The Romans ensured that amber made a comeback in the Mediterranean. They also have a lasting influence on the names of materials, because the Latin name ambrum led to the word anbar, which in turn led to the modern English term amber. Amber is once again valued and popular, and it is imported through the Germanic River basin as before. Germania Libera's tribe is no longer just engaged in raw material trade, but has set up its own workshop to trade finished products with Rome. Aquila, especially in central Italy, became a famous production center between 1 and the 3rd century. Amber is used to make jewelry, statues, handles and even small containers and goblets. Pliny Sr. extracted the following contents from his Natural History, proving that some amber chips can be sold at high prices:
As a luxury, its value is so high that a very small portrait made of amber is famous for its higher price than that of a living person, even a strong and healthy person. (Book 37: 12.2)
Mainly worn by Roman women, amber even named it a hair color. Its protective function has not been forgotten, because gladiators often ensure that fragments are connected to their battle nets. In the 3rd century AD, the use of amber declined in the Roman world, but it was still widely used in the Baltic Sea. This is reflected in a thank-you letter written by CarTheodore Russ, a writer in the 6th century A.D., to Emperor Theodoric. In the Middle Ages, Armenians became the new advocates of amber, and ensured that the trade and manufacture of amber became exquisite decorations until modern times.