Urease activity in cultural layers at archaeological sites

Чернышева, Е. А.; Коробов, Д. С.; Khomutova, T. E.; Борисов, А. В.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2015.01.022

Cited by 39 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…High input of organic matter usually stimulates microbial activity, which leads to increased microbial biomass and enzyme activity. There is evidence that paleosols in the surroundings of archaeological monuments, such as habitation layers of ancient settlements, bear the record not only of the environmental conditions of the past but also of the life of ancient people [1, 2, 4]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC)

et al. 2016

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Microbial ecology has been recognized as useful in archaeological studies. At Archaic Monte Iato in Western Sicily, a native (indigenous) building was discovered. The objective of this study was the first examination of soil microbial communities related to this building. Soil samples were collected from archaeological layers at a ritual deposit (food waste disposal) in the main room and above the fireplace in the annex. Microbial soil characterization included abundance (cellular phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), viable bacterial counts), activity (physiological profiles, enzyme activities of viable bacteria), diversity, and community structure (bacterial and fungal Illumina amplicon sequencing, identification of viable bacteria). PLFA-derived microbial abundance was lower in soils from the fireplace than in soils from the deposit; the opposite was observed with culturable bacteria. Microbial communities in soils from the fireplace had a higher ability to metabolize carboxylic and acetic acids, while those in soils from the deposit metabolized preferentially carbohydrates. The lower deposit layer was characterized by higher total microbial and bacterial abundance and bacterial richness and by a different carbohydrate metabolization profile compared to the upper deposit layer. Microbial community structures in the fireplace were similar and could be distinguished from those in the two deposit layers, which had different microbial communities. Our data confirmed our hypothesis that human consumption habits left traces on microbiota in the archaeological evidence; therefore, microbiological residues as part of the so-called ecofacts are, like artifacts, key indicators of consumer behavior in the past.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00248-016-0904-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC)

et al. 2016

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“…The patterns of distribution of thermophilic bacteria in soil are reliable indicators of the application of large amounts of manure and long‐term fertilization within the Alanic period. This is supported by other soil features such as SOC, phosphorus, manganese, and urease activity (Chernysheva et al., ). The data obtained are two orders of magnitude above the level of thermophilic bacteria found in a modern, manured agricultural plot abandoned for 30 years (Chernysheva, Borisov, & Korobov, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Changes in the soil enzymatic pool are preserved for an indefinite period due to binding of enzymes to clay minerals and soil organic matter, which renders them more resistant to denaturation and proteolysis (Burns et al., ). Our previous studies have suggested that elevated urease activity may indicate the use of organic fertilizers in ancient farming (Chernysheva, Korobov, Khomutova, & Borisov, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophilic microorganisms in arable land around medieval archaeological sites in Northern Caucasus, Russia: Novel evidence of past manuring practices

2017

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Thermophilic microorganisms in the soils of medieval cultivated fields located within the Kislovodsk Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia) were selected as a means for the reconstruction of manuring practices. Thermophilic bacteria are specific groups of microorganisms that develop in manure during the composting process when temperatures reach 60-70°C. The abundance of this type of bacteria in soils depends greatly on the intensity of farming practices. In medieval cultivated soils (Alanic Culture, A.D. 500-800), high numbers of thermophilic bacteria were observed, indicating the long-term use of manure. In arable lands near Alanic settlements, the abundance of thermophilic bacteria decreased significantly with distance from the sites. The highest abundance of thermophilic bacteria was observed in the 500 m zone adjacent to the sites. Moreover, the highest concentration of thermophilic microorganisms was found in the soil within an Alanic corral. We suggest that dung accumulated in the paddock for a long time. Abundance of thermophilic microorganisms at archaeological sites could be used as a new indicator of the application of decomposed manure to ancient and medieval arable soils. K E Y W O R D Sancient manuring, anthropogenic soils, Northern Caucasus, thermophilic microorganisms Geoarchaeology. 2017;32:494-501.

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“…Moreover, unlike the first three decades, from 2000 to present [15][16][17], there has been an accelerated growth in the number of scientific publications. These papers used new geoarchaeological methods in the research of soils and sediments at archaeological sites [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

Section: Approaches and Methods For Determining T-values Formulas Authormentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimates of Soil Renewal Rates: Applications for Anti-Erosion Arrangement of the Agricultural Landscape

Lisetskii

2019

Geosciences

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Engineering and geographic substantiation of the anti-erosion organization of agricultural landscapes requires not only differentiated estimations of erosion losses, but also commensurate (in terms of space–time scales) estimations of the soil loss tolerance. The main approaches for determining the participation of estimations of soil formation in the substantiation of erosion tolerance have been defined. This study is aimed at justifying the methods of incorporating the results of pedogenesis modeling into computational methods for organizing agricultural landscapes. This paper presents the results of a study of the process of formation of the humus horizon and the accumulation of organic carbon in soils, based on soils from archaeological sites in the Crimean Peninsula over a period from 25 to 2000 years ago, with differences in climate and parent rock, in a region with a thousand-year history of human activity. The patterns of variation in the thickness of the humus horizons over time and the accumulation of carbon were determined, and estimates for the rate of the pedogenesis were obtained. In connection with the slowing of the rate of pedogenesis over time, the chronofunction of the change in the thickness of soils (of both exponential and logistic types) may be applied and, on this basis, it is possible to calculate the rates of the formation of the humus horizon depending on the morphological status of the soils. During re-naturation of highly degraded soils, maximum renewal rates may take place only with a very high input of organic matter, which is crucial to take into account in the development and implementation of programs for the rehabilitation of degraded lands. Under the conditions of slope agriculture, the rationale for T-values should be linked to many factors of the input and consumption of organic carbon, which provides a logical mathematical model of the formation of soil quality. For soil quality management on agricultural lands, a formula for calculating T-values, using an equation where the rate of pedogenesis is associated with a variety of changes in soil organic carbon, is proposed in this article.

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Urease activity in cultural layers at archaeological sites

Cited by 39 publications

References 34 publications

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC)

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC)

Thermophilic microorganisms in arable land around medieval archaeological sites in Northern Caucasus, Russia: Novel evidence of past manuring practices

Estimates of Soil Renewal Rates: Applications for Anti-Erosion Arrangement of the Agricultural Landscape

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