An evaluation of different forms of deterioration found in archaeological wood

Assessment of Deterioration in Archaeological Wood from Ancient Egypt

“…In addition, information on the decay present can provide insights into past microbiological events as well as past physicochemical and environmental conditions of the site. Different abiotic and biotic forms of deterioration result in distinct changes within wood cells (Blanchette et al 1990 Blanchette et al 1991b). Abiotic factors are also responsible for degrading wood, but our knowledge of these processes is meager due not only to the long time period required for significant degradation to become apparent but to the masking effects of the ever-present microbial population.…”

“…A slow acid hydrolysis has been postulated that gradually degraded cell wall carbohydrates and modified residual lignin. In situations where wood is in contact with high concentrations of acid or alkaline compounds, deterioration may be substantial even after a few decades (Blanchette et al 1991b;Parameswaran 1981 Many wooden cultural properties from ancient Egypt have been preserved for thousands of years in extraordinarily good condition. Wood fragments from various objects have been used in past research to identify wood species and to detect changes that may have occurred in the wood.…”

“…Many cultural properties have substantial deterioration. In a preliminary study, objects that appeared to display different stages of decay were selected for ultrastructural examination (Blanchette et al 1991b In our study we examined a large number of different wooden objects from the collections of ancient Egyptian art in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, that displayed visual evidence of deterioration. Ultrastructural observations were used to determine the type of decay that was present, evaluate the current condition of the wood, and provide general knowledge of deterioration common to woods found in dry archaeological sites.…”

The Anthropogenic Use of Firewood During the European Middle Pleistocene: Charcoal Evidence from Levels XIII and XI of Bolomor Cave, Eastern Iberia (230–160 ka)

“…Fungi expand inside the ligneous structure by producing spores, which develop into hyphae that degrade the structure of carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) and lignin by means of depolymerisation (Baldrian and Valášková 2008;Blanchette 1991;Blanchette et al 1991;Leonowicz et al 1999;Tuor, Winterhalter, and Fiechter 1995). Fungal decay can be categorised into brown rot, white rot and soft rot according to the type of degradation affecting the wood's cell walls (Blanchette 2000).…”

Plants and mudbrick: preserving the Midas Tumulus at Gordian, Turkey

“…the centre af the mound (the stabilized tunnel to the centre is 68m long). The conservationof the Midas Tumulus, under the direction of G.Kenneth Sams,has mostly been concerned with the interior [3][4][5][6]. The artefacts, including the spectacularly canservedwooden furniture [7],are in the Museum.…”