Lebanese Amber: A Fantastic Journey into the Time of Dinosaurs

The history of amber and its trade in Lebanon dates back to ancient times, during the Phoenician civilization. Amber in Lebanon can be found in over 450 outcrops, comprising approximately 10% of the country’s land. Some of these outcrops are Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) in age, while the majority are Early Cretaceous (early Barremian). The Early Cretaceous amber found in Lebanon is the oldest amber with extensive biological inclusions, making it a crucial source of knowledge regarding continental palaeobiodiversity during the Early Cretaceous period. This period is widely recognized as witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms, representing a critical time for the co-evolution between flowering plants and insects. In Lebanese amber, biological inclusions often serve as records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families.