Abstract
Abydos is a large, complex archaeological site located approximately 500 km south of Cairo in Upper Egypt. The site has served as a cemetery for thousands of years and is where most of the Early Dynastic royal tombs are located. North Abydos includes the Middle Cemetery and the North Cemetery, which are separated from each other by a wadi. The Middle Cemetery was the burial ground for important Sixth Dynasty (2407–2260 BC) officials and over time for thousands of elite and non-elite individuals as well. Excavations at the core area of the Old Kingdom mortuary landscape have revealed many culturally important wooden objects but these are often found with extensive deterioration that can compromise their preservation. The objectives of this study were to characterize the biodegradation that has taken place in excavated wooden objects, elucidate the type of wood degradation present, obtain information on soil properties at the site and identify fungi currently associated with the wood and soils. Light and scanning electron microscopy studies were used to observe the micromorphological characteristics of the wood, and culturing on different media was done to isolate fungi. Identification of the fungi was done by examining morphological characteristics and extracting rDNA from pure cultures and sequencing the ITS region. Wooden objects, made from Cedrus, Juniperus and Acacia as well as several unidentified hardwoods, were found with extensive degradation and were exceedingly fragile. Termite damage was evident and frass from the subterranean termites along with sand particles were present in most woods. Evidence of soft rot attack was found in sections of wood that remained. Fungi isolated from wood and soils were identified as species of Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Stemphylium Talaromyces and Trichoderma. Results provide important information on the current condition of the wood and gives insights to the identity of the fungi in wood and soils at the site. These results provide needed information to help develop conservation plans to preserve these degraded and fragile wooden objects.
Highlights
Abydos is a large archaeological site located approximately 500 km south of Cairo in Sohag Governorate, near El-Balyana City in southern Egypt
While mortuary activity throughout this landscape was initially restricted in the wake of its use for royal burials at Umm el-Qa’ab, the Middle Cemetery was subsequently primarily used for private funerary activity beginning in the later Old Kingdom including the burial sites for important officials of the regional and central government, e.g., the mastabas of Weni the Elder, Governor of Upper Egypt, his father the Vizier Iuu, and other individuals [3,4,5,6,7]
Wooden objects excavated at Abydos were found to have severe deterioration and decay resulting in an exceedingly fragile condition (Figs 2 and 3)
Summary
Abydos is a large archaeological site located approximately 500 km south of Cairo in Sohag Governorate, near El-Balyana City in southern Egypt. The low desert landscape of North Abydos is, in turn, divided into the Middle Cemetery and the North Cemetery, separated from each other by a wadi which leads to the area known as Umm el-Qa’ab, where the Early Dynastic royal tombs are located [2]; and the area of Kom el Sutan, the location of the ancient town and Osiris temple. While mortuary activity throughout this landscape was initially restricted in the wake of its use for royal burials at Umm el-Qa’ab, the Middle Cemetery was subsequently primarily used for private funerary activity beginning in the later Old Kingdom including the burial sites for important officials of the regional and central government, e.g., the mastabas of Weni the Elder, Governor of Upper Egypt, his father the Vizier Iuu, and other individuals [3,4,5,6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
