Archaeobotany of the Old Prague Town defence system, Czech Republic: archaeology, macro-remains, pollen, and diatoms

Beneš, Jaromír; Kaštovský, Jan; Kočárová, Romana; Kočár, Petr; Kubečková, Klára; Pokorný, Petr; Starec, Petr

doi:10.1007/s003340200012

Cited by 42 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…A light microscope (Olympus BX51) with a digital camera (Olympus DP 70) was used for the identification and documentation of species. Subsamples for diatom identification were prepared following methods described by Bene$ et al (2002) and mounted into an artificial resin (Von Stosch 1974). Frustules were observed using the Olympus BX51 light microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM JEOL 6380).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of benthic phototrophs, sulfate reducers, and methanogens in two adjacent saltern evaporation ponds in Eilat, Israel

Sørensen¹,

Řeháková²,

Zapomělová³

et al. 2009

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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The vertical distribution of phototrophic and non-phototrophic microorganisms was examined in 2 saltern evaporation ponds with salinities of 156 and 206 g l -1. The biogeochemistry of these 2 ponds was examined using microsensors for oxygen, pH and sulfide. These measurements showed that net rates of oxygen production/consumption were significantly higher at a salinity of 156 than at 206 g l -1. The distribution of phototrophic microorganisms was studied by microscopy, which revealed several differences between the 2 crusts. The relative amounts of Bacteria, Archaea, sulfate reducers and methanogens were studied by real-time quantitative PCR amplification of genes for 16S rRNA, dissimilatory sulfite reductase (DSR), and methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR). Sulfate reducers and methanogens were detected only in the deepest part of the phototrophic zone and below. Sulfate reducers were most abundant in the zone just below the phototrophic layer, where the DSR gene copy number was ~1.5% that of the 16S rRNA gene copy number. Methanogens were much less abundant than sulfate reducers, and the number of MCR gene copies never exceeded 0.1% of the number of 16S rRNA gene copies. Methanogens were less abundant at a salinity of 206 than at 156 g l -1. Inter-pond and vertical variations in the composition of methanogenic and sulfate reducing communities were further characterized by DGGE analysis. The detected sulfate reducers were affiliated with 4 different phylogenetic groups that included members of the Desulfovibrionales, relatives of Desulfotomaculum, and 2 deeply branching groups with no close cultured relatives. The detected phylotypes were distributed in a distinct pattern in the crust according to both biogeochemical regimes and salinity. Methanogens were all affiliated with the known halophilic genera Methanohalophilus and Methanohalobium.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of benthic phototrophs, sulfate reducers, and methanogens in two adjacent saltern evaporation ponds in Eilat, Israel

Sørensen¹,

Řeháková²,

Zapomělová³

et al. 2009

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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“…However, ditch fill samples have traditionally been taken very close to excavated settlements (e.g. Beneš et al 2002;Groenmanvan Waateringe 1992;Manning et al 1997), since these areas happen to be readily available for sampling during the course of the excavation.…”

Section: Box2 119mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing vegetation diversity in coastal landscapes

Schepers¹

2014

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Book and cover designChristineKlein,Bremen www.christineklein.nl Photos MansSchepers,RenéCappersandIngerWoltingeProduction RoelfBarkhuis www.barkhuis.nl Financial support StichtingNederlandsMuseumvoor AnthropologieenPraehistorie © 2014 Mans SchepersAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyform or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwrittenformfromtheauthor. PEOPLE AND VEGETATION Reconstructing vegetation is far from a walk in the park - yet it is a prerequisite for a fuller understanding of past human behaviour in all its aspects. The exploitation of the landscape is not restricted to the direct use of plants. It is the grass we will not let grow under our feet, the forest we cannot see for the trees, and the nettle we are willing to grasp. To reduce vegetation to the berries we chew, the meadows we graze our livestock on, and the oaks we fell to support our roofs is an anthropocentric simplification of the complicated interaction between humans and their environment. This relationship is relevant to, and has been studied from, a variety of perspectives, both historical and contemporary (Sukopp 1969). ISBN (dissertation edition)Traditionally, archaeological studies (and archaeologists) have split into two camps. On the one hand, there are the so-called 'specialist studies', such as ceramic analysis, lithic analysis, and zooarchaeological analysis. On the other hand, General introduction 0010there are the more general studies, in which various aspects of one period are brought together. In this tradition, the study of past vegetation would be regarded as a specialist palaeobotanical (also known as archaeobotanical) study. However, the relevance of the natural environment for understanding human behaviour has long been acknowledged by more generalist archaeologists, in some cases as a result of the archaeologist's background in biology or physical geography (two Dutch examples are Louwe Kooijmans [1974, 1985] and Waterbolk [1954]).Two main research questions underlie this study, of which the first governs the second: Is it possible to improve upon the reconstruction of past vegetation at the most detailed level? To answer this first research question, several approaches are adopted. First, the potential of applying both recent and long-established methodology and data from present-day vegetation ecology to archaeobotanical data is explored. Modern ecological field studies are an essential element for the interpretation of the archaeobotanical record (Butzer 1982, 171-172). Second, the relationship between some frequently studied types of archaeological contexts and their botanical composition (as opposed to standing vegetation) is studied in detail. It is alleged that it is possible to successfully address past vegetation composition by seeking novelty in the analysis, rather than by seeking new proxies (stage 5 rather than 4 in Fig. 1.5). In this study, the emphasis lies on the...

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“…Hellwig, 1997;Sasaki & Takahara, 2011;Starec et al, 2012). Within the area of Prague, the only investigated wet sediments of more or less natural origin were those of the so-called Old Town defence system moat (Beneš et al, 2002) and the alluvial sediments of the Vltava River backwaters (Kozáková & Pokorný, 2007;Č ulíková 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The oldest Czech fishpond discovered? An interdisciplinary approach to reconstruction of local vegetation in mediaeval Prague suburbs

et al. 2014

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Wet sediments of a former water reservoir were discovered during an archaeological rescue excavation. Vegetation and environmental changes taking place in the mediaeval suburbs of Prague, Czech Republic, from the tenth to the middle of the fourteenth century were investigated. The origin and function of the water reservoir was revealed using a multi-proxy approach that combined the results of macrofossil, pollen, diatom, antracological, archaeo-zoological and sedimentological analyses. Gradual changes of the surrounding vegetation were documented. Field indicators increased in time, whereas proportions of broadleaf trees and shrubs decreased; proportions of ruderal plants increased continually. A gradual decline of semi-natural hygrophilous vegetation was accompanied by an inverse tendency in trampled vegetation. All these trends indicate an intensification of human activity around the pool. A similar intensification of anthropogenic influence is clearly visible in the development of the aquatic environment. According to the diatom composition, the base of the profile is the result of sedimentation in considerably oligotrophic conditions. A successive deterioration of water quality was documented by various organisms (diatoms, green algae, water macrophyta, fishes and intestinal parasites). The high content of dissolved nutrients, probably connected with anoxia, could have caused the disappearance of both diatoms and fishes.

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Archaeobotany of the Old Prague Town defence system, Czech Republic: archaeology, macro-remains, pollen, and diatoms

Cited by 42 publications

References 0 publications

Distribution of benthic phototrophs, sulfate reducers, and methanogens in two adjacent saltern evaporation ponds in Eilat, Israel

Distribution of benthic phototrophs, sulfate reducers, and methanogens in two adjacent saltern evaporation ponds in Eilat, Israel

Reconstructing vegetation diversity in coastal landscapes

The oldest Czech fishpond discovered? An interdisciplinary approach to reconstruction of local vegetation in mediaeval Prague suburbs

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