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ANALYSIS OF EUROPEAN AMBER BY CARBON‐13 NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY
Author(s) -
LAMBERT J. B.,
BECK C. W.,
FRYE J. S.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.1988.tb00451.x
Subject(s) - baltic amber , abietane , alkene , carbon fibers , spectroscopy , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , chemistry , resonance (particle physics) , spectral line , terpenoid , nuclear magnetic resonance , crystallography , botany , stereochemistry , organic chemistry , biology , materials science , physics , genus , composite number , particle physics , quantum mechanics , composite material , catalysis , astronomy
Amber, a class of fossil resins, comprises largely terpenoid components. The structure of the major, insoluble portion has not been defined previously. We report the analysis of European amber by carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy directly on solid samples. Two major types are defined, depending on the appearance of the alkene resonances. Baltic amber (succinite), along with other northern ambers such as gedanite, has a pronounced resonance from an exomethylene group. The southerly ambers (rumanite, schraufite, walchowite, delatynite and true simetites) lack the exomethylene resonances. The succinite group gives spectra consistent with a labdane‐type precursor and the rumanite‐like ambers give spectra consistent with an abietane‐type precursor. These results are best explained by at least two different palaeobotanical sources of the fossil resins.