Amber: Tears of the Gods

About this book

Once a treasure more valuable than gold, amber has had a fascinating and turbulent history, a history that shaped the economies of the Baltic States. The mysterious qualities of Amber: Tears of the Gods have caused it to be collected, treasured and admired since ancient times. Over thousands of years, many interesting theories have been advanced as to amber's origin and nature but, for all its varieties, colours and forms, every piece of amber originated as tree resin, fossilised over millions of years.

Amber: Tears of the Gods is an extremely enjoyable introduction to this extraordinary substance, explaining exactly what amber is and where it came from. Neil Clark delves into the myths and legends which have contributed to the folklore of amber and takes the reader on a historical journey across the trade routes of Europe. He enlightens us to amber's many intriguing uses and ends by telling us of amber's surprising significance to modern science.

A beautifully illustrated and constructed survey, Amber: Tears of the Gods encompasses ancient 40 million year old forests; the palaces of European royal families; the strange and superstitious practices of the Scottish Highlands and the modern palaeontologist discovering insects new to science. Neil Clark's book is written for collectors, scientists and those simply wishing to better understand and appreciate the wonderful artefacts and curiosities that have been created from the 'tears of the gods'.

Contents

- Introducing Amber
- Amber Origins
- Prehistoric Amber
- Amber Myths
- Gdansk and the Amber Route
- Malbork, Medieval Amber and the Teutonic Knights
- Amber in Gdansk (16th to18th centuries)
- The Amber Room
- Amber into the 21st Century
- Amber in Medicine
- Amber in Science
- Amber and the Dinosaurs
- The Amber Trap
- Fake Amber and Alternatives to Amber
- Further Reading and Websites

Customer Reviews

Biography

Neil Clark is the Curator of Palaeontology at the Hunterian Museum in the University of Glasgow.