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Unique chemical parameters and microbial activity lead to increased archaeological preservation at the Roman frontier site of Vindolanda, UK.

ABSTRACT: Waterlogged burial conditions impact upon artefact preservation. One major determinant of preservation is presence and behaviour of microorganisms, however, unravelling the mechanisms, especially in waterlogged conditions is challenging. In this study, we analysed elemental composition, bacterial diversity and community structure from excavation trenches at the Roman Site of Vindolanda, Northumberland, UK, using pXRF and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Excavation trenches provide information of different occupation periods. The results indicated that microbial communities were dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria at a phylum level. Samples which also had visible vivianite presence showed that there were marked increases in Methylophilus. Methylophilus might be associated with favourable preservation in these anaerobic conditions. More research is needed to clearly link the presence of Methylophilus with vivianite production. The study emphasises the need for further integration of chemical and microbiome approaches, especially in good preservation areas, to explore microbial and chemical degradation mechanisms.

SUBMITTER: Orr CH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8338975 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Unique chemical parameters and microbial activity lead to increased archaeological preservation at the Roman frontier site of Vindolanda, UK.

Orr C H CH Williams R R Halldórsdóttir H H HH Birley A A Greene E E Nelson A A Ralebitso-Senior T K TK Taylor G G

Scientific reports 20210804 1

Waterlogged burial conditions impact upon artefact preservation. One major determinant of preservation is presence and behaviour of microorganisms, however, unravelling the mechanisms, especially in waterlogged conditions is challenging. In this study, we analysed elemental composition, bacterial diversity and community structure from excavation trenches at the Roman Site of Vindolanda, Northumberland, UK, using pXRF and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Excavation trenches provide information ...[more]

PMID: 34349140

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Project description:Halophilic archaea are a unique group of microorganisms that thrive in high-salt environments, exhibiting remarkable adaptations to survive extreme conditions. Archaeological wood and El-Hamra Lake serve as a substrate for a diverse range of microorganisms, including archaea, although the exact role of archaea in archaeological wood biodeterioration remains unclear. The morphological and chemical characterizations of archaeological wood were evaluated using FTIR, SEM, and EDX. The degradation of polysaccharides was identified in Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). The degradation of wood was observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed the inclusion of minerals, such as calcium, silicon, iron, and sulfur, into archaeological wood structure during burial and subsequent interaction with the surrounding environment. Archaea may also be associated with detected silica in archaeological wood since several organosilicon compounds have been found in the crude extracts of archaeal cells. Archaeal species were isolated from water and sediment samples from various sites in El-Hamra Lake and identified as Natronococcus sp. strain WNHS2, Natrialba hulunbeirensisstrain WNHS14, Natrialba chahannaoensis strain WNHS9, and Natronococcus occultus strain WNHS5. Additionally, three archaeal isolates were obtained from archaeological wood samples and identified as Natrialba chahannaoensisstrain W15, Natrialba chahannaoensisstrain W22, and Natrialba chahannaoensisstrain W24. These archaeal isolates exhibited haloalkaliphilic characteristics since they could thrive in environments with high salinity and alkalinity. Crude extracts of archaeal cells were analyzed for the organic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 59 compounds were identified, including free saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acid esters, ethyl and methyl esters of unsaturated fatty acids, glycerides, phthalic acid esters, organosiloxane, terpene, alkane, alcohol, ketone, aldehyde, ester, ether, and aromatic compounds. Several organic compounds exhibited promising biological activities. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of various functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxylate, siloxane, trimethylsilyl, and long acyl chains in the archaeal extracts. Furthermore, the archaeal extracts exhibited antioxidant effects. This study demonstrates the potential of archaeal extracts as a valuable source of bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Dataset Information

Unique chemical parameters and microbial activity lead to increased archaeological preservation at the Roman frontier site of Vindolanda, UK.

Publications

Unique chemical parameters and microbial activity lead to increased archaeological preservation at the Roman frontier site of Vindolanda, UK.

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