Lebanese amber

Lebanese amber is fossilized resin found in Lebanon and surrounding countries. A majority of the amber with fossil inclusions has been found within 3 layers of the Grès du Liban alloformation, which dates back approximately 130-125 million years to the Barremian of the Early Cretaceous. Upper Jurassic Kimmeridgian amber has also been found in Lebanon from the Bhannes formation, but so far only one locality, Aintourine, has produced inclusions. The main amber deposit was formed on what was then the northern coast of Gondwana, probably within a tropical or subtropical zone in a temperate or hot climate. Analysis of the sediment from the site indicate the amber was produced in coastal, possibly estuarine conditions.

It is the oldest source of amber with a significant number of inclusions. Up to 300 sources of Lebanese amber have been recovered and 17 of them are important sources of organic inclusions, which are the oldest of their kind. The inclusions help to document Cretaceous fauna and flora.