DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.74781#0124
123
3 INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF AMBER
SAMPLES FROM EPHESOS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The archaeological investigation of the Artemision at Ephesos (present-day Seljuk in Turkiye)
dates back to 1864 when J. T. Wood was recruited by the British Museum to excavate the region
and he discovered the Artemision site in 1870. D. G. Hogarth continued work on the excavation
during 1904-1905 and discovered additional floors of earlier periods of the Artemision temple; in
1908 he published his report995. The finds from these excavations are divided between the Archae-
ological Museum in Istanbul and the British Museum in London. Subsequent excavations by the
Austrian Archaeological Institute have unearthed a large number of ambers, which are believed
to be votive offerings.
The provenance of amber samples found in archaeological sites in Italy is of interest for under-
standing the practice of trade and the value of amber in early cultures. The substitution of Baltic
amber for Sicilian amber has been documented, along with importation of amber from other
countries over the past three centuries. Amber found in Italy has been identified to a number of
sources, which include copal (a semi-fossil material), Baltic, local simetite, imitation amber and,
in more recent years, red Dominican amber996. Two amber samples from tomb 3 of the Eneolithic
necropolis at Laterza (province Taranto) were determined to be Sicilian ambers997, which indi-
cated that local amber was used in early Italian culture before the arrival of Baltic amber from
Northern Europe.
In this investigation, samples from Ephesos were studied by FTIR spectroscopy to determine
if they were Baltic amber, or of other types.
3.2 METHOD OF ANALYSIS
The amber samples were analysed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using a
KBr pellet; 1 mg of amber sample was finely ground with 0.1 gm of dried KBr and pressed into a
pellet in vacuum under high pressure. The FTIR instrument used was ThermoNicolet model Nex-
us 670. The samples were analysed immediately after preparation to minimise uptake of water
under ambient conditions.
3.3 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AMBER SAMPLES FROM EPHESOS
A total of 30 samples were received for analysis from Dr. Alessandro Naso998. E1-E7, E9-E31 are
samples from beads, pendants, inserts or raw material collected from the temple of Artemis in Ephe-
sos. These artefacts are dated to the late 7th century BC, and believed to be used as votive offerings.
995 Hogarth 1908a.
996 Beck - Hartnett 1993.
997 Beck 1971.
998 The export of amber samples was thankfully permitted through the authorisation by tlie General Direction of tlie
Antiquities in Ankara and occurred as part of the sample export through the Austrian Archaeological Institute,
whom we together with Alessandro Naso sincerely thank.
3 INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF AMBER
SAMPLES FROM EPHESOS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The archaeological investigation of the Artemision at Ephesos (present-day Seljuk in Turkiye)
dates back to 1864 when J. T. Wood was recruited by the British Museum to excavate the region
and he discovered the Artemision site in 1870. D. G. Hogarth continued work on the excavation
during 1904-1905 and discovered additional floors of earlier periods of the Artemision temple; in
1908 he published his report995. The finds from these excavations are divided between the Archae-
ological Museum in Istanbul and the British Museum in London. Subsequent excavations by the
Austrian Archaeological Institute have unearthed a large number of ambers, which are believed
to be votive offerings.
The provenance of amber samples found in archaeological sites in Italy is of interest for under-
standing the practice of trade and the value of amber in early cultures. The substitution of Baltic
amber for Sicilian amber has been documented, along with importation of amber from other
countries over the past three centuries. Amber found in Italy has been identified to a number of
sources, which include copal (a semi-fossil material), Baltic, local simetite, imitation amber and,
in more recent years, red Dominican amber996. Two amber samples from tomb 3 of the Eneolithic
necropolis at Laterza (province Taranto) were determined to be Sicilian ambers997, which indi-
cated that local amber was used in early Italian culture before the arrival of Baltic amber from
Northern Europe.
In this investigation, samples from Ephesos were studied by FTIR spectroscopy to determine
if they were Baltic amber, or of other types.
3.2 METHOD OF ANALYSIS
The amber samples were analysed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using a
KBr pellet; 1 mg of amber sample was finely ground with 0.1 gm of dried KBr and pressed into a
pellet in vacuum under high pressure. The FTIR instrument used was ThermoNicolet model Nex-
us 670. The samples were analysed immediately after preparation to minimise uptake of water
under ambient conditions.
3.3 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AMBER SAMPLES FROM EPHESOS
A total of 30 samples were received for analysis from Dr. Alessandro Naso998. E1-E7, E9-E31 are
samples from beads, pendants, inserts or raw material collected from the temple of Artemis in Ephe-
sos. These artefacts are dated to the late 7th century BC, and believed to be used as votive offerings.
995 Hogarth 1908a.
996 Beck - Hartnett 1993.
997 Beck 1971.
998 The export of amber samples was thankfully permitted through the authorisation by tlie General Direction of tlie
Antiquities in Ankara and occurred as part of the sample export through the Austrian Archaeological Institute,
whom we together with Alessandro Naso sincerely thank.
