Chemical characterization of ancient Mesoamerican 'copal' resins: Preliminary results

So-called ‘copal’ resins from nine Aztec/Mixtec turquoise mosaics have been subject to analysis by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry to examine their higher terpenoid composition with a view to botanical identification. Botanical specimens and modern commercial ‘copal’ resins were analysed for reference. A range of botanical sources for the resins was identified, including pine, Protium and possibly Bursera. The data reinforce the ambiguity in the use of the term ‘copal’ and demonstrate the need for further work on characterization of ancient Bursera resins.