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Biodiversity's Hidden Treasure:Biodeteriorated Archaeological Tombstones of Serbia


Affiliations
1 University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
2 University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, India
3 Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Serbia, Radoslava Grujica 11, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
 

In the present study, biological colonization on medieval tombstones from archaeological sites in Serbia has been investigated. Chemical analyses showed that the stone substrata were mostly of calcium carbonate, which is highly bioreceptive. Large areas of tombstones were covered with epilithic lichenized fungi and mosses, and microbiological analyses showed the presence of micromycetes and cyanobacteria. The dominant group of fungi recorded on tombstone surfaces was microcolonial fungi, now recognized as primary colonizers of stone substrata.

Keywords

Biodeterioration, Cultural Heritage, Cyanobacteria, Fungi, Subaerial Biofilms.
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  • Biodiversity's Hidden Treasure:Biodeteriorated Archaeological Tombstones of Serbia

Abstract Views: 375  |  PDF Views: 118

Authors

Milica Ljaljevic Grbic
University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Gordana Subakov Simic
University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Milos Stupar
University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, India
Aleksa Jelikic
Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Serbia, Radoslava Grujica 11, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marko Sabovljevic
University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Maja Dordevic
Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Serbia, Radoslava Grujica 11, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Jelena Vukojevic
University of Belgrade, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, Studentski trg 16, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract


In the present study, biological colonization on medieval tombstones from archaeological sites in Serbia has been investigated. Chemical analyses showed that the stone substrata were mostly of calcium carbonate, which is highly bioreceptive. Large areas of tombstones were covered with epilithic lichenized fungi and mosses, and microbiological analyses showed the presence of micromycetes and cyanobacteria. The dominant group of fungi recorded on tombstone surfaces was microcolonial fungi, now recognized as primary colonizers of stone substrata.

Keywords


Biodeterioration, Cultural Heritage, Cyanobacteria, Fungi, Subaerial Biofilms.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv112%2Fi02%2F304-310