Abstract
Roots can produce mechanical and chemical alterations to building structures, especially in the case of underground historical artifacts. In archaeological sites, where vegetation plays the dual role of naturalistic relevance and potential threat, trees and bushes are under supervision. No customized measures can be taken against herbaceous plants lacking fast and reliable root identification methods that are useful to assess their dangerousness. In this study, we aimed to test the efficacy of DNA barcoding in identifying plant rootlets threatening the Etruscan tombs of the Necropolis of Tarquinia. As DNA barcode markers, we selected two sections of the genes rbcL and matK, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), and the intergenic spacer psbA-trnH. All fourteen root samples were successfully sequenced and identified at species (92.9%) and genus level (7.01%) by GenBank matching and reference dataset implementation. Some eudicotyledons with taproots, such as Echium italicum L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., and Reseda lutea L. subsp. lutea, showed a certain recurrence. Further investigations are needed to confirm this promising result, increasing the number of roots and enlarging the reference dataset with attention to meso-Mediterranean perennial herbaceous species. The finding of herbaceous plants roots at more than 3 m deep confirms their potential risk and underlines the importance of vegetation planning, monitoring, and management on archaeological sites.
Highlights
Vegetation plays a dual role on archaeological sites
We aimed to evaluate the power of the DNA barcode method in identifying higher plants starting from herbaceous roots and to test its application in the cultural heritage field, for the first time
Trees and bushes are commonly maintained under strict control, while no information and neither preventive measures nor guidelines are issued for herbaceous plants
Summary
Vegetation plays a dual role on archaeological sites. Plants contribute significantly to the characterization of landscapes, enhancing their naturalistic, ecological, and cultural value [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Vascular plants, especially trees, can seriously threaten the conservation of ancient monuments as they can directly colonize walls and damage structures by root expansion [1,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. This risk can be highly relevant in the case of underground ruins as there might be a short distance between the buried archaeological structures and the vegetated ground level. Roots with their growth may produce mechanical and chemical damages on foundations, mortars, plasters, walls, and frescoes [15,16,20,21], even dislodging large stones and weakening the mineral wall matrix and masonry texture by the release of chemical compounds [15]
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