“However, no examples of Baltic amber had been identified in Hama.” Were these beads products of an expansive trade route, or something entirely new? Using two scientific techniques — called ...

The Hama that Mohammed Hisham Barazanko paints does not exist any more. Some features in his pictures are recognisable: there are alleyways covered by pointed arches like the ones near his studio.

Credit: M. N. Mortensen et al. / National Museum of Denmark A recent analysis of beads discovered in the ancient city of Hama, Syria, has revealed that some were crafted from Baltic amber, transported ...