First examples of prehistoric fake amber beads

[Still Waters]

Unscrupulous traders might have cheated rich customers with fake amber beads.

Prehistoric Iberians created "imitation amber" by repeatedly coating bead cores with tree resins, according to a study published May 1, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Carlos Odriozola from Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, and colleagues.

Many studies have confirmed the ornamental and symbolic importance of amber to European prehistoric peoples. This study is the first to discuss potential prehistoric Iberian "imitation amber" beads made using the application of repeated resinite coatings on top of a bead core.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190501141115.htm