By Blake Reher
Throughout Roman times, Amber was considered the gold of the
North. Amber was believed to have medicinal properties that cured arthritis,
protected people from suffering mental illness, and healed sore throats. People thought amber had magical properties
that gave the wearer bravery. Amber was also a symbol of God’s presence.
Workers harvested amber from the Baltic regions in Russia. Merchants
transported amber along roads and rivers to the Mediterranean area in Italy, the
center of the Roman Empire. The Romans used it in making jewelry. It was a
luxury product that helped develop a trade network in Europe. Without this
valuable product and the trading routes it used, Europe would not have
developed as quickly.
Amber is fossilized tree sap. The color of this sap is
yellowish brown but can also be other colors. The sap sometimes entombs living
things such as bugs and leaves and occasionally larger objects.
An ant inside Baltic amber. Image used with permission.
© Anders L. Damgaard, www.amber-inclusions.dk
About the author:
Blake Reher is a member of the Pikes Peak Pebble Pups and the Colorado Springs
Mineralogical Society. He is also a volunteer ranger at the Florissant Fossil
Beds National Monument. He is 16 and attends Cheyenne Mountain High School.