A Baltic Gem explores the mystery of an Amber pebble at Creswell Crags

Found at one of the oldest and most important archaeological sites in Europe, the amber pebble could reveal new information about the Ice Age settlement

Close up of the amber pebble

Visitors to Creswell Crags in Nottinghamshire will have the opportunity to explore a unique amber pebble brought to the Crags in the Ice Age.

A new temporary exhibition, funded by a grant from Museum Development East Midlands and on display until March 2014, will attempt to reveal the secrets of this unassuming-but-rare artefact.

Victorian archaeologists found the pebble in the largest cave at the location, Robin Hood Cave.

“We have enjoyed the opportunity of bringing the amber pebble out of the permanent exhibition and exploring its significance in more detail," says Exhibitions Officer Hannah Boddy/

“Why it was brought here by visiting Ice Age tribes is uncertain, and it just makes the ‘gem’ all the more intriguing.”

The exhibition explores why the pebble was brought to the Crags and its possible function. One theory suggests that it was brought to the area to be worked for decorative purposes; the exhibition includes an image of a Stone Age Baltic Amber carved horse from the Natural History Museum as an example of what the stone could have become. [...] culture24.org.uk