Non-destructive analysis of archaeological amber from Iron Age Kerkenes in central Anatolia

Abstract

The discovery of amber inlays from Kerkenes, an Iron Age settlement located in central Anatolia, represents one of the easternmost points in Anatolia where amber has been reliably retrieved from an archaeological excavation. Consequently, the provenance and transportation mechanisms involved in the procurement of these artefacts became a subject of inquiry. Utilising FTIR spectroscopy and stylistic analysis, the current study aims to answer those questions by investigating the provenance and physical conditions of the Kerkenes amber specimens. The results of spectroscopic analysis have indicated a Baltic origin for all analysed amber samples from Kerkenes. Moreover, the analysis has also hinted at the heat treatment and subsequent oxidisation of the samples. These findings, when considered alongside decades of archaeological investigations on amber in Europe, confirm that amber supply networks from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean and Black Sea regions exhibited a degree of resilience over time and/or underwent re-establishment during the period of Phrygian dominance in central Anatolia. Furthermore, a stylistic analysis of the amber and ivory inlays from the same context indicates a cultural association not only with Phrygian Gordion but also with the broader regional cultural horizons.