Amber exchange in the Late Bronze Age Levant in Cross-cultural Perspective

Baltic amber reached the Mycenaean and Levantine kings by means of a "prestige circuit" of royal gift exchanges extending across the Mediterranean area. Amber was valued for its magical properties, which were believed to guarantee victory, fertility, and fortune. It was used for its healing and therapeutic powers, and served as an ingredient in incense, unguents, and perfumes. Jewelry made of ambler could signal allegiance to another person, provide guidance, serve a talismanic function, or ward away danger. A more complex analysis of ancient texts and archaeological finds in the framework of a cross-cultural perspective may reveal the significance of possessing (wearing), giving (gift-giving), and offering (funerary and votive amulets) raw or worked amber in the Late Bronze Age Levant.