Inclusions in the amber

Amber possesses an astonishing quality: for dozens of millions years it can retain unchanged small animals, especially insects and Arachnida, as well as vegetative remains that have been called inclusions. They are rarely found. The scientists have calculated that not more than 10% of the transparent amber contains inclusions. Amber pieces with inclusions have always been of great value. It was Aristotle who first mentioned them in his works. In Ancient Rome they learned to skillfully forge them, and researchers were only able to identify forgery in the 19th century. Amber with inclusions was sometimes kept in the monarchs’ treasury. The Polish king August II the Strong (1670-1733) owned a huge collection of amber with various animal inclusions. The largest pre-war collection was kept in Koenigsberg and contained approximately 100 items.

Our Museum houses more than 3000 samples of amber pieces with inclusions. They have been studied by the specialists of the Institute of Paleontology of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.V. Zherikhin, I.D. Sukacheva, A.G. Ponomarenko, V.G. Kovalev, K.Yu. Yeskov and a specialist of the Zoological Institute of the RAS A.R. Manukyan.

Inclusions can only be found in the external excretion of the oleo-resin – in the icicles and leakages. An insect’s getting and retaining in the amber piece was also conditioned by the size and viscosity of the excreted oleo-resin. Flies, mosquitoes, ants, beetles, spiders that stuck to its surface were coated with a second and a third leakage. Larger insects, let alone amphibious, escaped from the resin captivity leaving behind some parts of their bodies, usually extremities. The collection of the Koenigsberg University used to house a little lizard. Several similar items with different states of preservation have been discovered recently.

Approximately 90% of the animal inclusions in the collection of our Museum are insects. Among them more than a half are dipterous: mosquitoes, flies. Quite often one can find caddis flies. They look like moths, they have numerous antennae, large complex eyes and long legs. Our collection also includes representatives of the water fauna, for example a water-tiger. Beetles  that can be found in the Baltic amber are very close to the modern fauna of the subtropical forest. The Museum keeps quite a rare sample of the garden-spider. Besides insects, wool and hair of mammals as well as birds’ feathers can be found in the amber.

Only 0.4% among the inclusions are plants. In most cases they are parts of wood tissue and rind. Occasionally withered flowers, remains of leaves, needles, twigs and fruits can be found.

The inclusions of flora and fauna in the Baltic amber are of great scientific interest due to their diversity and a perfect state of preservation. They help the researchers to explain numerous puzzles of the evolution of the animal world and the vegetable kingdom and to better comprehend the history of our planet.