Amber provenance as a Chrono-Cultural Proxy: Insights from FTIR analysis in the Iberian Peninsula

In recent years, significant advancements have occurred in our comprehension of amber consumption patterns in the Iberian Peninsula. This progress stems from the increasing volume of FTIR data related to both archaeological and geological amber. Consequently, a chronological model has been established, delineating amber consump­ tion in the Iberian Peninsula from the Late Paleolithic to the Iron Age. Broadly, local amber consumption has been minimal since the Paleolithic period. Sicilian amber makes its appearance in Iberia around the 5th mil­ lennium BCE and fades away in the 2nd millennium BCE, giving way to Baltic amber, which has remained the sole source since then.