Open AccessReassessment of amber-bearing deposits of Provence, southeastern France
Author(s) -
JeanPaul Saint Martin,
Yves Dutour,
Luc Ebbo,
Camille Frau,
Bruno Mazière,
Didier Néraudeau,
Simona Saint Martin,
Thierry Tortosa,
Eric Turini,
Xavier Valentin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
bulletin de la société géologique de france
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1777-5817
pISSN - 0037-9409
DOI - 10.1051/bsgf/2020048
Subject(s) - cretaceous , context (archaeology) , mesozoic , geology , range (aeronautics) , paleontology , archaeology , geography , structural basin , materials science , composite material
The presence of “geological” amber (or “succin” in old French monographs) has been reported for several centuries in the Mesozoic deposits of Provence, southeastern France. Diverse amber-bearing sites were inventoried by the authors but their location and stratigraphical context remain unclear for most of them. In the past decades, various data concerning chemistry, palaeontological content and comparison with archaeological discoveries improved our knowledge of the ambers of Provence, but only those of Cretaceous age. The present paper aims at providing a comprehensive description of all the presently known amber-bearing deposits of Provence, including the description of new sites. We highlight the great potential of Provence ambers and allow to consider a wider time range, from the Early Cretaceous to the Miocene.