Stimulated by the "Amber ISBC" in Gdansk/Poland, 15 amber samples (Baltic area, Germany, Africa, Meso- and South America) and 3 copal samples (Africa, Meso- and South America) were investigated by thermal analysis (DTA, TG, DTG, combined with mass spectrometry) as well as pyrolysis-gas chromatography. IR false colour thermography was added to study the burning behaviour of the samples. Characteristic compounds like abietic acid, succinic acid, several terpenes or sesquiterpenes and related compounds were detected for amber and copal and compared in the sense of fingerprinting. One sample of incense was included in the investigations because amber was used as a kind of incense along the Baltic Coast through many centuries. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.