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| About Dominican Amber |
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There are three main sites in the Dominican Republic: La Cordillera Septentrional, in the north,
Bayaguana and Sabana de la Mar, in the east. In the northern area, the amber-bearing unit is formed of clastic rocks,
sandstone accumulated in a deltaic or even deep-water environment. It is the most important area.
In the eastern area, some amber is found in a sediment formation of organic-rich laminated sand, sandy clay,
intercalated lignite as well as some solated beds of gravel and calcarenite.
Both areas seem to have been part of the same sedimentary basin, but later disrupted by movements along major faults. (
Iturralde-Vincent and MacPhee, 1996).
According to Poinar, 2001, Dominican amber is from Oligocene to Miocene, up to 30 Mio years old.
The oldest, and hardest of this amber comes from the mountain region north of Santiago area, from
the mines at La Cumbre, La Toca, Palo Quemado, La Bucara, and Los Cacaos mining sites in the Cordillera Septentrional
not far from Santiago.
There is also amber in the (south-eastern Bayaguana/Sabana area. It is softer,
sometimes brittle and suffers oxidation afer being taken from the mines. And there is also copal
found with only an age of 15-17 million years.
Since the amber in these mountains is tightly imbedded in a lignite layer of sandstone, holes are dug into the sides of the cliffs.
The miners accomplish their work only with the help of primitive, simple tools and risk their lives daily.
We invite you to a trip to a Dominican amber mine. And if you want to see a
movie about it, go to:
and see the short film "The Blue Voyage"
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