Research Symposium: Blood Amber: conflict fossils, precarious livelihoods, and research ethics

Sponsors: University of Bristol Research Development International Collaboration Award, School of Geographical Sciences’ ‘Political Ecology’ and ‘State, Economy, Society’ Research Groups

Where: Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol

When: 6 March 2025, 13:00 - 16:00hrs, and 7 March 2025, 0900 – 12:00hrs

What: A research symposium between the University of Bristol (Geographical Sciences, Life Sciences) and the University of Oslo (Social Anthropology), featuring three talks (6 March) and a focussed research ethics discussion (7 March)

Context: Kachin amber, sometimes termed ‘blood amber’, is a commodity produced as part of the gem trade in Kachin province, north Myanmar (formerly Burma). Kachin amber is predominantly gathered by small scale informal miners as part of the global gem trade. Within some Kachin amber are also found the fossilised remains of mid-Cretaceous life (i.e. 100-million-year-old plants, insects, and vertebrates). These fossilised remains have their own specialised economy and are amongst the oldest discovered amber fossils; they provide unique insights into evolutionary palaeobiology. But, they are sometimes termed ‘blood amber’ because the gem trade, of which fossil amber is a small part, is argued to be enmeshed within a political economy fuelling a long-running civil war in Myanmar. Kachin amber is thus part of a wider weapons economy, inter-ethnic conflict, and ‘resource war’ that includes the gem trade, illegal forestry, illegal metals mining, and wide-spread environmental and human harm. As a result, Kachin amber’s use in scientific research has become deeply contentious.

This symposium brings together palaeobiologists, political ecologists, and social anthropologists with expertise in Kachin amber, the conflict in Kachin and Myanmar, and border infrastructures to examine the political ecology and research ethics of Kachin amber.

Talks: Thursday 06 March 13:00-16:00 (G.13 Life Sciences Building)

A Cretaceous world locked in amber (Dr. Jakob Vinther, UBristol)

Fossils can be exceptionally preserved under a number of different circumstances, but nothing really compares to how fossils preserve in amber. One the richest, and among the oldest, windows into the Cretaceous comes from amber mined in Myanmar. In this talk I will review the geology and diversity captured in the 'Burmese' amber and what it reveals about the many denizens and flora that existed and made up the world of dinosaurs, and its scientific importance. 

Amber Worlds: From the China--Burma borderlands to the Anthropocene (Dr. Alessandro Rippa, UOslo)

Amber can tell us a lot about the earth's past. But what can amber and its global circulations tell us about the present and future of our planet? In this talk I will introduce the ERC project "Amber Worlds" and describe how I came to see amber as a unique entry point to the Anthropocene. Starting from my own encounter with amber at the China--Burma (Myanmar) borderlands, I will briefly discuss various case-studies we address within the broader ERC project.

Kachin Amber, Burmese War, and an International Science Ethics Debate (Dr. Laur Kiik, UOslo)

Recently, amber from Burma (Myanmar) has brought knowledge and controversy among paleontologists. This talk explores the science ethics debate among Western and Chinese paleontologists about the Kachin amber and the Burmese war—but does so from a Kachin and Burma Studies perspective. The talk draws on ethnographic research among Kachin people since 2010.

Research Ethics Discussion: Friday 07 March 09:00 – 12:00 (Flyby 1, Life Sciences Building)

Spaces are limited. If you would like to attend the first day of talks (lunch included), please complete the registration form: Blood Amber Symposium 06 March Registration

If you would like to attend the research ethics discussion on Friday morning 7 March, or for more information, please contact one of the organisers.