Théophraste, Dioscoride et le joyau secret du lynx : nouvelle hypothèse pour l’identification du lyngurium

The present article analyses the main identifications about the lyngurium (amber/yellow tourmaline) and develops a new hypothesis inferred from both a reinterpretation of extracts from Theophrastus (Lap. V, 28-31; Frg. 362 A FSH & G) and echoes suggested by a thorough study of the botanical corpus. The lynx’ stone would be a block of dry resin, but not fossilised, imported by routes similar to the amber ones, from areas where lynxes lived, and may contain some plants’ residues. This hypothesis enables to explain the regular confusion with amber while reporting on the etiological narrative from which the lynx is tied to this stone. Furthermore, it could enlighten the text written by Dioscorides (MM 2, 31), who refers to a sort of “feathered” amber (ἤλεκτρον πτερυγοφόρον, hapax).