All
 
|
 
 


Archaeological microbiology: theoretical foundations, methods and results
 
PIIS086960630010975-1-1
DOI10.31857/S086960630010975-1
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Natalya N. Kashirskaya 
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Russian Federation, Pushchino
Elena V. Chernysheva
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Pushchino, Russia
Tatiana E. Khomutova
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Pushchino, Russia
Kamilla S. Dushchanova
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Pushchino, Russia
Anastasia V. Potapova
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Pushchino, Russia
Alexander V. Borisov
Affiliation: Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS
Address: Pushchino, Russia
Journal nameRossiiskaia arkheologiia
EditionIssue 2
Pages7-18
Abstract

The article presents the theoretical foundations and methodological basis of a new interdisciplinary research area – archaeological microbiology, whose subject is the features of using organic materials in household and producing activities as well as in the funeral rite of the ancient population. To date, methods have been developed to identify the initial presence of a wide range of organic materials in various archaeological contexts. The methodological approach is based on studying the patterns of changes in the structure and number of the soil microbial community, as well as enzymatic activity in the case of the initial presence of certain substrates of plant and animal origin in the soil. A complex of microbiological indicators has been identified allowing to reconstruct the initial presence of cellulose, wool, leather, fat, urea and a number of other organic substrates. The article overviews of the results of using the methods of archaeological microbiology in the study of traces of farming and livestock breeding activities, the infrastructure of settlements and the funeral rite.

Keywordscultural layer, infrastructure of settlements, livestock pens, ancient fields, fertilizers, enzymatic activity, thermophilic microorganisms, keratin, cellulose
AcknowledgmentИсследование выполнено при финансовой поддержке РФФИ в рамках научного проекта № 19-19-50239.
Received27.06.2021
Publication date28.06.2021
Number of characters26112
Cite  
100 rub.
When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.
Размещенный ниже текст является ознакомительной версией и может не соответствовать печатной
1 Методы микробиологического анализа почв из различных источников к настоящему времени пока не нашли широкого практического применения в археологии, несмотря на активное развитие молекулярно-генетических исследований (Joza at al., 2008). Лишь в 2010 году появилась в относительно полно сформулированном виде концепция “микроархеологии за пределами видимого” – “microarchaeology: beyond the visible archaeological record” (Weiner, 2010), как часть “интегративной” археологии, предполагающей широкое использование методов из арсенала естественных наук.
2 На сегодняшний день применение методов микробиологии в археологических исследованиях наиболее детально описано в статье “Microbiology Meets Archaeology” (Margesin et al., 2016), где показана возможность сохранения в микробном сообществе почвы информации об антропогенном воздействии. Следует также упомянуть серию работ по использованию копрофильных микроорганизмов в палеоэкологических реконструкциях и при выявлении следов доместикации животных (Van Geel et al., 2003, 2011). Наибольший прогресс к настоящему времени достигнут лишь в области изучения почвенных грибов как индикаторов антропогенной деятельности (Ivanova, Marfenina, 2015).
3 Однако публикации в этом направлении представляют собой лишь отдельные понятийно не объединенные работы, без четко обозначенного предмета исследований, без адаптированной методической базы и очерченного круга актуальных задач.
4 Многолетние исследования коллектива авторов данной статьи, посвященные микробиологическим свойствам почв и культурных слоев, позволили существенно расширить возможности использования методов почвенной микробиологи при изучении археологических памятников. Кроме того прорывным направлением исследований стало использование методов почвенной энзимологии при изучении почв и грунтов в различных археологических контекстах. До начала наших исследований в этой области были известны лишь две работы, в которых была показана возможность длительного (в археологических масштабах) времени сохранения высокой активности ферментов фосфатазы и амидазы в антропогенно-преобразованных почвах удобряемых полей (Dick et al, 1994; Frankenberger, Dick, 1983). В наших исследованиях раскрытие “ферментативной памяти”: почв и культурных слоев археологических памятников является одним из основных методологических подходов (Чернышева, Борисов, Коробов, 2016).
5 Решение ряда археологических задач оказывается возможным только благодаря использованию методов из арсенала археологической микробиологии. Так, в частности, отделить жилую зону поселения от его хозяйственной периферии с помощью традиционных методов исследования довольно сложно. Ранее для этого оценивались лишь физико-химические свойства почв (Holliday, Gartner, 2007; Wilkinson, 1982). Однако физико-химические свойства культурного слоя жилой зоны поселения и почв в загоне для скота довольно близки, и встречаемость артефактов в том и в другом случае может быть одинаковой. Поэтому только использование микробиологических методов позволило достоверно и однозначно диагностировать факт содержания скота и накопление стойлового навоза.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 979

Readers community rating: votes 0 

1. Borisov A., Korobov D., Sergeev A., Kashirskaya N., 2020. Traces of ancient agriculture in the soil around the archaeological sites (A case study from Northern Caucasus, Russia). Quaternary International. (In press).
2. Borisov A.V., Peters S., Chernysheva E.V., Korobov D.S., Reynkhol'd S., 2013. Chemical and microbiological features of the Koban culture occupational layers (the 13th–9th centuries BC) near Kislovodsk. Vestnik arkheologii, antropologii i etnografii [Vestnik Arheologii, Antropologii i Etnografii], 4, pp. 142–154. (In Russ.)
3. Chernysheva E., Khomutova T., Fornasier F., Kuznetsova T., Borisov A., 2018. Effects of long-term medieval agriculture on soil properties: A case study from the Kislovodsk basin, Northern Caucasus, Russia. Journal of Mounting Science, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 1171–1185.
4. Chernysheva E., Korobov D., Borisov A., 2017. Thermophilic microorganisms in arable land around medieval archaeological sites in Northern Caucasus, Russia: novel evidence of past manuring practices. Geoarchaeology, vol. 32, iss. 4, pp. 494–501.
5. Chernysheva E.V., Borisov A.V., Korobov D.S., 2016. Biologicheskaya pamyat' pochv i kul'turnykh sloev arkheologicheskikh pamyatnikov [Biologic memory of soils and occupational layers of archaeological sites]. Moscow: Geos. 240 p.
6. Chernysheva E.V., Borisov A.V., Malashev V.Yu. Microbiological approach to the reconstruction of initial fat presence in vessels from the Alan culture burials. Kratkie soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii [Brief Communications of the Institute of Archaeology]. (In print). (In Russ.)
7. Chernysheva E., Dushchanova K., 2020. Investigation of consequences of organic farming based on the study of soils of ancient agriculture terraces. 20 International multidisciplinary scientific GeoConference – SGEM. Albena, pp. 455–461.
8. Chernysheva E.V., Kashirskaya N.N., Demkina E.V. Korobov D.S., Borisov A.V., 2019. Thermophilic microorganisms in the soil as a result of human economic activities in antiquity. Mikrobiologiya [Microbiology], vol. 88, no. 5, pp. 624–626. (In Russ.)
9. Chernysheva E.V., Kashirskaya N.N., Korobov D.S., Borisov A.V., 2014. Biological activity of the turf-carbonate soils and cultural layers of the Alan settlements in the Kislovodsk basin. Pochvovedenie [Soil science], 9, pp. 1068–1076. (In Russ.)
10. Chernysheva E.V., Korobov D.S., Khomutova T.E., Borisov A.V., 2015. Urease activity in cultural layers at archaeological sites. Journal of Archaeological Science, 57, pp. 24–31.
11. Chernysheva E.V., Korobov D.S., Khomutova T.E., Fornasier F., Borisov A.V. Soil microbiological properties in livestock corrals: an additional new line of evidence to identify livestock dung. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. (In press).
12. Demkin V.A., Demkina T.S., Udal'tsov S.N., 2014. Reconstruction of the funerary food in the clay vessels from the mound burials with phosphate and microbiological methods. Vestnik arkheologii, antropologii i etnografii [Vestnik Arheologii, Antropologii i Etnografii], 2, pp. 148–158. (In Russ.)
13. Demkina E.V., Doroshenko E.V., Babich T.L., Mironova V.V., Borisov A.V., Demkina T.S., El'-Registan G.I., 2019. Buried soils as an unconventional source of extracting biotechnology-relevant bacteria strains. Mikrobiologiya [Microbiology], vol. 88, no. 5, pp. 605–618. (In Russ.)
14. Dick R., Sandor J., Eash N., 1994. Soil enzyme activities after 1500 years of terrace agriculture in the Colca Valley, Peru. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, vol. 50, iss. 2, pp. 123–131.
15. Evershed R.P., 2008. Organic residue analysis in archaeology: the archaeological biomarker revolution. Archaeometry, vol. 50, iss. 6, pp. 895–924.
16. Frankenberger W., Dick W., 1983. Relationships Between Enzyme Activities and Microbial Growth and Activity Indices in Soil. Soil Science Society of American Journal, vol. 47, iss. 5, pp. 945–951.
17. Gak E.I., Chernysheva E.V., Khodzhaeva A.K., Borisov A.V., 2014. The experience of identifying and systematization of the infrastructure characteristics of the settlement of the catacomb culture Rykan-3 in the forest steppe Don region. Rossiyskaya arkheologiya [Russian archaeology], 4, pp. 19–28. (In Russ.)
18. Gol'eva A.A., 1999. Plant fiber mats of the Bronze age Kalmykia. Tekstil' epokhi bronzy Evraziyskikh stepey [The Iron Age textile of the Eurasian steppes]. N.I. Shishlina, ed. Moscow: Gosudarstvennyy istoricheskiy muzey, pp. 185–203. (Trudy Gosudarstvennogo istoricheskogo muzeya, 109). (In Russ.)
19. Gol'eva A.A., 2011. Microbiomorph method as a part of comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the reconstruction of natural and anthropogenic connections of ancient communities. Ekologiya drevnikh i traditsionnykh obshchestv: sbornik dokladov konferentsii [Ecology of ancient and traditional societies: Reports of the conference], 4. N.P. Matveeva, ed. Tyumen': Vektor Buk, pp. 22–25. (In Russ.)
20. Holliday V.T., Gartner W.G., 2007. Methods of soil P analysis in archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 34, iss. 2, pp. 301–333.
21. Ivanova A., Marfenina O., 2015. Soil fungal communities as bioindicators of ancient human impacts in medieval settlements in different geographic regions of Russia and southwestern Kazakhstan. Quaternary International, 365, pp. 212–222.
22. Joza N., Galindo K., Pospisilik J.A., Benit P., Rangachari M., Kanitz E.E., Nakashima Y., Neely G.G., Rustin P., Abrams J.M., Kroemer G., Penninger J.M., 2008. The molecular archaeology of a mitochondrial death effector: AIF in Drosophila. Cell Death and Differentiation, vol. 15, iss. 6, pp. 1009–1018.
23. Kashirskaya N., Kleshchenko A., Mimokhod R., Borisov A., 2020. Microbiological approach for identi?cation of wool clothes in ancient burials. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol. 31, 102296.
24. Kashirskaya N.N., Chernysheva E.V., Khodzhaeva A.K., Borisov A.V., 2017. Biological activity of the anthropogenic mountainous soils in medieval agricultural terraces of mountainous Dagestan. Aridnye ekosistemy [Arid ecosystems], vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 5–16. (In Russ.)
25. Kashirskaya N.N., Chernysheva E.V., Plekhanova L.N., Borisov A.V., 2019. Thermophilic microorganisms as an indicator of soil microbiological contamination in antiquity and at the present time. 19 International multidisciplinary scientific GeoConference – SGEM, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 569–574.
26. Kashirskaya N.N., Petrosyan A.A., Plekhanova L.N., Syrovatko A.S., Myakshina T.N., Potapova A.V., 2018. Medieval cremations and attempts to identify the presence of wool substrates. Arkheologiya evraziyskikh stepey [Archaeology of the Eurasian steppes], 4, pp. 166–171. (In Russ.)
27. Kashirskaya N.N., Plekhanova L.N., Chernysheva E.V., El'tsov M.V., Udal'tsov S.N., Borisov A.V., 2020. Spatial and chronological features of the phosphatase activity in natural and anthropogenically transformed soils. Pochvovedenie [Soil science], 1, pp. 89–101. (In Russ.)
28. Kashirskaya N.N., Plekhanova L.N., Petrosyan A.A., Potapova A.V., Syrovatko A.S., Kleshchenko A.A., Borisov A.V., 2018. Approaches to the identification of woolen products by the amount of keratinolytic microorganisms in the soils of ancient and medieval burials. Nizhnevolzhskiy arkheologicheskiy vestnik [The Lower Volga archaeological bulletin], vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 95–107. (In Russ.)
29. Kashirskaya N.N., Plekhanova L.N., Udal'tsov S.N., Chernysheva E.V., Borisov A.V., 2017. Mechanisms and time-factor of the fermentative organization in paleo-soils. Biofizika [Biophysics], vol. 62, no. 6, pp. 1235–1244. (In Russ.)
30. Kashirskaya N.N., Potapova A.V., Kleshchenko A.A., Borisov A.V., 2018a. Microbiological identification of the wool and cellulose presence in mats from the Bronze Age graves. Arkheologiya i estestvennye nauki v izuchenii kul'turnogo sloya ob"ektov arkheologicheskogo naslediya: materialy mezhdistsiplinarnoy nauchnoy konferentsii [Archaeology and sciences in studying cultural layers of archaeological heritage sites: Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary scientific conference]. Moscow: Tovarishchestvo nauchnykh izdaniy KMK, pp. 81–88. (In Russ.)
31. Kashirskaya N.N., Potapova A.V., Kleshchenko A.A., Borisov A.V., 2018b. Microbiological identification of animal origin substrates in the funerary mats of the Bronze Age. Kratkie soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii [Brief Communications of the Institute of Archaeology], 253, pp. 403–416. (In Russ.)
32. Kashirskaya N., Potapova A., Gak E., Ivashov M., Borisov A., 2020b. Phosphorus content and enzymatic activity in the cultural layers of the Bronze Age settlement Ksizovo 1 (XXIV–XXIII BC). 20 International multidisciplinary scientific GeoConference – SGEM. Albena, pp. 493–499.
33. Khomutova T.E., Dushchanova K.S., Borisov A.V., 2020. Microbiological approach to the reconstruction of the initial contents of pots from mound burials. Nizhnevolzhskiy arkheologicheskiy vestnik [The Lower Volga archaeological bulletin], vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 188–201. (In Russ.)
34. Khomutova T.E., Dushchanova K.S., Smirnov V.E., Borisov A.V., 2019. Succession of the microbial community of grey forest soil in the process of decomposition of different organic compounds. Pochvovedenie [Soil science], 8, pp. 966–973. (In Russ.)
35. Korobov D.S., Borisov A.V., Babenko A.N., Sergeev A.Yu., Chernysheva E.V., 2018. Comprehensive research of stone enclosures in the vicinity of Kislovodsk. Rossiyskaya arkheologiya [Russian archaeology], 2, pp. 113–129. (In Russ.)
36. Korobov D.S., Borisov A.V,. 2020. New data on studying ancient and medieval settlement off-sites in the Kislovodsk basin. Rossiyskaya arkheologiya [Russian archaeology], 4, pp. 53–69. (In Russ.)
37. Lapshin V.A., 2009. Tver' v XIII–XV vv. Po materialam raskopok 1993–1997 gg. [Tver in the 13th–15th cc. Based on the 1993–1997 excavations]. St. Petersburg: Fakul'tet filologii i iskusstv Sankt-Peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 540 p. (Trudy Instituta istorii material'noy kul'tury Rossiyskoy akademii nauk, XXX).
38. Margesin R., Siles J., Cajthaml T., Ohlinger B., Kistler E., 2016. Microbiology Meets Archaeology. Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC). Microbial Ecology, 73, pp. 925–938.
39. Metody pochvennoy mikrobiologii i biokhimii: uchebnoe posobie [Methods of the soil microbiology and biochemistry: a study guide]. D.G. Zvyagintsev, ed. Moscow: Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 1991. 302 p.
40. Peters S., Borisov A., Reinhold S., Korobov D., Thiemeyer H., 2014. Microbial characteristics of soils depending on the human impact on archaeological sites in the Northern Caucasus. Quaternary International, 324, pp. 162–171.
41. Plekhanova L.N., 2018. Cellulase activity in anthropogenically disturbed chernozems. 18 International multidisciplinary scientific GeoConference – SGEM. Albena, pp. 173–180.
42. Plekhanova L.N., Kashirskaya N.N., Syrovatko A.S., 2020. The activity of cellulolytic microorganisms in the soils of cremations as an indicator of funeral rite details. Nizhnevolzhskiy arkheologicheskiy vestnik [The Lower Volga archaeological bulletin], vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 116–129. (In Russ.)
43. Potapova A.V., Pinskoy V.N., Gak E.I., Kashirskaya N.N., Borisov A.V., 2020. Variability of the cultural layer properties of the Bronze Age settlement Ksizovo-1 in the forest-steppe Don region. Rossiyskaya arkheologiya [Russian archaeology], 1, pp. 60–75. (In Russ.)
44. Shishlina N.I., Borisov A.V., Kleshchenko A.A., Idrisov I.A., Chernysheva E.V., van der Plikht Y., 2015. The Bolshaya Elista 1 site. The theory and practice of searching for and studying ancient pastoral settlements in the steppe-desert areas. Izvestiya Samarskogo nauchnogo tsentra Rossiyskoy akademii nauk [Izvestia of Samara Scientific Centre of the RAS], vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 152–161. (In Russ.)
45. Smekalova T., Bevan B., Kashuba M., Lisetskii F., Borisov A., Kashirskaya N., 2021. Magnetic surveys locate Late Bronze Age corrals. Archaeological Prospection, vol. 28, iss. 1, pp. 3–16.
46. Van Geel B., Buurman J., Brinkkemper O., Schelvis J., Aptroot A., Reenen G., Hakbijl T., 2003. Environmental reconstruction of a Roman Period settlement site in Uitgeest (The Netherlands), with special reference to coprophilous fungi. Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 30, iss. 7, pp. 873–883.
47. Van Geel B., Gelorini V., Lyaruu A., Aptroot A., Rucina S., Marchante R., Sinninghe J.S., Verschuren D.D., 2011. Diversity and ecology of tropical African fungal spores from a 25.000-year palaeoenvironmental record in southeastern Kenya. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, vol. 164, iss. 3–4, pp. 174–190.
48. Weiner S., 2010. Microarchaeology: Beyond the Visible Archaeological Record. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 396 p.
49. Wilkinson T.J., 1982. The Definition of Ancient Manured Zones by Means of Extensive Sherd-Sampling Techniques. Journal of Field Archaeology, vol. 9, iss. 3, pp. 323–333.
50. Zhurbin I., Borisov A., 2020. Non?destructive approach for studying medieval settlements destroyed by ploughing: combining aerial photography, geophysical and soil surveys. Archaeological Prospection, vol. 27, iss. 4, pp. 343–360.

Система Orphus

Loading...
Up