Exploring post‐excavation degradation potential of fungal communities associated with archaeological human remains

Mircea, Cristina; Vulpoi, Adriana; Rusu, Ioana; Radu, Claudia; Pârvu, Marcel; Kelemen, Beatrice

doi:10.1111/arcm.12438

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…environment, or the post-excavation storage environment. Limited research has been carried out on post-excavation microbial growth, but some studies suggest that most of the microbiota on archaeological bone stem from the burial environment [65][66][67]. In this case, oxidation of…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying archaeo-organic degradation – A multiproxy approach to understand the accelerated deterioration of the ancient organic cultural heritage at the Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd

Boëthius¹,

Hollund²,

Linderholm³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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Despite a growing body of evidence concerning accelerated organic degradation at archaeological sites, there have been few follow-up investigations to examine the status of the remaining archaeological materials in the ground. To address the question of archaeoorganic preservation, we revisited the Swedish, Mesolithic key-site Agerö d and could show that the bone material had been subjected to an accelerated deterioration during the last 75 years, which had destroyed the bones in the areas where they had previously been best preserved. To understand why this has happened and to quantify and qualify the extent of the organic degradation, we here analyse the soil chemistry, bone histology, collagen preservation and palaeobotany at the site. Our results show that the soil at Agerö d is losing, or has already lost, its preservative and buffering qualities, and that pH-values in the still wet areas of the site have dropped to levels where no bone preservation is possible. Our results suggest that this acidification process is enhanced by the release of sulphuric acid as pyrite in the bones oxidizes. While we are still able to find well-preserved palaeobotanical remains, they are also starting to corrode through reintroduced oxygen into the archaeological layers. While some areas of the site have been more protected through redeposited soil on top of the archaeological layers, all areas of Agerö d are rapidly deteriorating. Lastly, while it is still possible to perform molecular analyses on the best-preserved bones from the most protected areas, this opportunity will likely be lost within a few decades. In conclusion, we find that if we, as a society, wish to keep this valuable climatic, environmental and cultural archive, both at Agerö d and elsewhere, the time to act is now and if we wait we will soon be in a situation where this record will be irretrievably lost forever.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying archaeo-organic degradation – A multiproxy approach to understand the accelerated deterioration of the ancient organic cultural heritage at the Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd

Boëthius¹,

Hollund²,

Linderholm³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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show abstract

“…Conventional high‐vacuum SEM is not suited to the examination of biomaterials such as bone, as it requires samples to be conductive. Although samples may be coated with conductive material (e.g., gold, gold–palladium, carbon and chromium) to facilitate SEM examination, [ 28,29 ] coatings cannot be removed, thereby permanently altering the sample and making this approach non‐ideal for examination of rare, precious and unique archaeological finds. Additionally, the X‐rays from the applied conductive coating are detected in EDS analysis and can obscure/overlap with the X‐rays from the specimen, [ 30 ] making interpretation of the specimen's elemental profile difficult or even impossible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman spectroscopic and elemental analysis of bone from a prehistoric ancestor: Mrs Ples from the Sterkfontein cave

Edwards

Carter

Kelloway

et al. 2021

J Raman Spectroscopy

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The complementary value of analytical elemental and molecular data for archaeological relics recovered from a burial deposition is illustrated here with the non-destructive analysis of bone specimens from an early human ancestor, known as Mrs Ples. Discovered in 1947 by Robert Broom in the Sterkfontein Cave system, forming part of the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng Province, South Africa, a skull from Australopithecus africanus dated to 2.1 Mya has been identified as a Hominidae precursor to Homo sapiens. The ability to record novel compositional and structural data from such specimens without any form of chemical or mechanical pretreatment is fundamentally necessary for the preservation of such unique relics while affording conservators the information needed to undertake restoration and the adoption of conservation strategies.Our analyses revealed information about the state of preservation of the samples as well as their depositional context. Raman microspectroscopic mapping produced data on the spatial distribution of phosphate, quartz, carbon, calcite and manganese dioxide signatures on the bone fragments. Extensive deposits of pyrolusite, manganese(II) oxide, on the bone specimens are attributed to hydrogeological processes from ground water irrigation of the skeletal remains in the depositional environment; the identification of distinct quartz-and calcite-rich areas may arise from taphonomic and/or depositional processes. Raman spectroscopic signatures of the organic proteinaceous component of the prehistoric bone are not observed, indicating the degradation of endogenous organics or, if present, were masked by exogeneous materials. The identification of carbon could additionally reflect the remains of biodegradative processes that have operated in the burial site. Elemental mapping using X-ray fluorescence and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy provided complementary information about the samples. The result is a comprehensive characterisation of the samples' morphology, elemental and molecular composition from the micro scale to the macroscale, using entirely non-destructive analytical techniques.

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Eco-friendly approach for control of fungal deterioration of archaeological skeleton dated back to the Greco-Roman period

Abdel-Maksoud¹,

Gaballah²,

Youssef³

et al. 2023

Journal of Cultural Heritage

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Exploring post‐excavation degradation potential of fungal communities associated with archaeological human remains

Cited by 4 publications

References 56 publications

Quantifying archaeo-organic degradation – A multiproxy approach to understand the accelerated deterioration of the ancient organic cultural heritage at the Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd

Quantifying archaeo-organic degradation – A multiproxy approach to understand the accelerated deterioration of the ancient organic cultural heritage at the Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd

Raman spectroscopic and elemental analysis of bone from a prehistoric ancestor: Mrs Ples from the Sterkfontein cave

Eco-friendly approach for control of fungal deterioration of archaeological skeleton dated back to the Greco-Roman period

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