The mycological properties of medieval culture layers as a form of soil ‘biological memory’ about urbanization

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope The mycological properties of soil can offer information about ancient human-landscape interaction, including urbanization. This preposition has been confirmed in our study of the habitation deposits in the medieval Russian settlements (eighth to fourteenth centuries A.D.). Materials and methodsThe mycobiota of profiles of anthropogenically transformed soil of excavated medieval settlements were examined in different climate conditions in the European part of Russia. The fungal biomass and biomass structure were evaluated using luminescent microscopy. The isolation and enumeration of microfungi were performed using the method of serial dilutions of soil samples and plating them out on the number of solid media. The isolation of keratinolytic microfungi was performed by hear-bite technique.

Soil fungal communities as bioindicators of ancient human impacts in medieval settlements in different geographic regions of Russia and southwestern Kazakhstan

“…The first approaches to describe the features of soil mycobiota in habitation deposits at mediaeval settlements was made in our research (Marfenina et al, 2001(Marfenina et al, , 2003(Marfenina et al, , 2008a(Marfenina et al, , 2008bIvanova et al, 2006). The data confirmed that the mycobiota of habitation deposits of medieval settlements may have properties different from those of zone fungal communities.…”

“…Thus, the keratinophilic fungi can accumulate on animal clustering areas, as well as in households, at storage sites of residues of wool and leather products, and food waste. This suggested the possibility of using the keratinophilic fungi for bio-indication in paleo-reconstructions of medieval settlements by the reason of their higher frequency of occurrence on the plots of floors of some living rooms and ancient streets (Ivanova et al, 2006;Marfenina et al, 2008a). The accumulation of keratinophilic fungi at the particular local sets and layers of habitation deposits were marked for most investigated medieval settlements.…”

“…This phenomenon is typical for soils both of modern and ancient settlements (Marfenina et al, 2003(Marfenina et al, , 2008a. It could be due to the special physical and chemical properties of earth matrix of habitation deposits.…”

“…On each slide, 30e50 random fields were examined for estimating hyphal length and spore number. Arzhantseva et al, 2001, Arzhantseva, 2002, Bronnikova et al, 2003, Ivanova et al, 2006, Marfenina et al, 2008a Uighur Fortress Por-Bajin…”

“…As a result of human impact, some mycological characteristics typical of undisturbed ecosystems are changed (Zak, 1991;Marfenina et al, 2008a).…”