The Microbial Diversity and the Biodeterioration in Archaeological Waterlogged Wood from the Neolithic Period

Wood deterioration and degradation are crucial processes on Earth, promoting the recycling of organic and inorganic materials. However, these processes also lead to the destruction of wooden monuments, resulting in aesthetic and structural damage. Recent studies have shown that microbial deterioration and degradation in many historic objects have gained the attention of archaeologists and microbiologists. This study aims to examine the diversity of microbial communities responsible for the deterioration of wooden archaeological artworks dating back to 7000 cal. BP. We constructed clone libraries of fungi and bacteria and isolated 18 microbial strains from the Kuahuqiao and Tianluoshan sites. Our findings revealed that bacterial diversity included various phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fibrobacteres, with Firmicutes being predominant in three samples, accounting for 30.12%. Additionally, 15 isolated strains were tested for their abilities to degrade wood and synthetic polymers commonly used as protective materials. The results indicated that some bacteria and fungi could produce esterase, lipase, endocellulase, and ligninase, which may contribute to the deterioration of wooden structures and protective materials. This study is the first to investigate microbial distribution in the Kuahuqiao and Tianluoshan sites, providing new insights into the potential microbial inhabitants of wooden artworks and synthetic materials.