Last July, an intensive course titled ‘Secrets of the Amber’ was organised by the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology (Medical University of Gdańsk & University of Gdańsk) and the Department of Biology (University of Gdańsk) within the ambit of the SEA-EU Alliance.
Mr Johann Galdies (Department of Geosciences) and Dr Mary Grace Vella (Department of Criminology) represented the University of Malta for this course which was held within the University of Gdańsk campus in the city of Gdańsk, Poland.
This course focussed on the scientific research and use of, as well as the cultural importance of, Baltic amber which can be found along the shores of the Baltic Sea. Being fossilised and hardened tree sap (resin) originating from what is today Scandinavia, Baltic amber is continuously being washed up on Polish shores since it is less dense than sea water and can float. Since it is found washed up on beaches, it is notoriously hard to pin down the exact age of Baltic amber, but most palaeontologists attribute it an age of between 35 and 43 million years (Eocene Epoch).
Since amber is hardened resin, it is of exceptional scientific importance because it is a source of important biomolecules, including anti-bacterial agents, and, in rare occasions, can also contain exceptionally well-preserved small organisms inside it (called inclusions) such as insects, spiders, seeds, flowers, feathers, hairs etc. This intensive course dealt mostly with these two aspects of Baltic amber, namely its importance in the fields of biotechnology and of palaeontology, as well as with the field aspect of amber collection, with the second day of the course being dedicated to amber sampling from the Vistula Estuary.