Present study addresses potential of fungal strains, isolated from deteriorated mural paintings a... more Present study addresses potential of fungal strains, isolated from deteriorated mural paintings and surrounding air environment of the Church of the Holy Ascension in Veliki Krčimir (Serbia), to precipitate mycogenic minerals, when cultivated on agarized B4 medium. Utilizing culture-based isolation methods, 38 filamentous fungi were obtained in total, 23 from mural paintings and 15 from air, respectively, mainly ascomycetes, while Bjerkandera adusta and Thanatephorus cucumeris were only basidiomycetes. A total of 31 of 38 fungal isolates, more than 80%, were able to form minerals of different morphologies and variable size, determined via SEM-EDS and XRPD, to be either calcite or calcite and weddellite association. Among screened fungi, all Penicillium, Chaetomium and Cladosporium isolates, as well as most of the Aspergillus isolates (8/11) precipitated minerals, whereas cultures of Bionectria, Bjerkandera, and Seimatosporium isolates lacked any observable crystal forms. With the ex...
Abstract This study revisits a collection of chipped stone artefacts from Mesolithic layers of Le... more Abstract This study revisits a collection of chipped stone artefacts from Mesolithic layers of Lepenski Vir (Iron Gate, Serbia). A sub-set of 909 items of a collection excavated back in the 1960s is re-examined macro- and microscopically, which showed that the raw material is predominantly represented by chert (70.7%) and quartzite (21.5%), whereas volcanic rocks (6.2%) and other rock types (1.7%) are subordinate. Artefacts made of volcanic rocks are rare but they gave us the opportunity to unravel the geological/volcanological context of the samples and to hypothesize about the source area. Among the volcanic material we distinguish two subgroups: a) pyroclastic rocks, mainly represented by devitrified welded tuffs and pieces of pyroclastic-fall and phreatomagmatic deposits, and b) coherent volcanic rocks, mostly as hypocrystalline to vitrophyric rhyolite and dacite-rhyodacite. A detailed volcanological interpretation of these artefacts, in combination with our field observations and knowledge about the regional geology, suggests, first, that this raw material derives from a complete volcanic succession, and second, that the only candidate for the source area is the Permian volcanic complex of Sirinia in Romania. If our volcanological arguments are robust, they imply that the Lepenski Vir residents had skills to cross the Danube and collect raw material at the opposite riverbank. Given the lack of direct evidence for the river crossing, this conclusion should be taken with caution. However, our study at least argues that many similar artefact collections may be worth of re-investigating and searching for possibly ‘hidden’ petrogenetic links among the rock types found as raw material.
Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences
The EU Water Framework Directive requires the monitoring and evaluation of surface water sediment... more The EU Water Framework Directive requires the monitoring and evaluation of surface water sediment quality based on the assessment of risk posed by contamination on the biotic receptors. Fluvial sediments are important receptors of hazardous substances (HSs) pollution from the upstream catchment areas in the Danube River Basin (DRB). For the development of systematic sediment quality monitoring and evaluation, the Drava River region on the border of Hungary and Croatia was selected as a test area representative of lowland hydromorphological conditions. Overbank (floodplain) sediments and river bottom sediments (stream sediments) were sampled at two depths at 9 locations in the test area. Eight heavy metal(oid)s were analyzed As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Zn as hazardous substances. The sediment quality assessment was carried out according to the 2013/39/EU Directive and EU Water Framework Directive standards. Most of the analysed HS concentrations in river bottom sediment and overbank ...
On the basis of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrome... more On the basis of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray powder diffraction analyses, we present detailed mineralogical and petrographical characteristics of 63 samples of cooking and tablewares, which originate from two Medieval horizons (S1 and S2) in the Studenica Monastery, as well as of three samples of clays regarded as possible pottery raw material. The composition of the ceramic matrix is compatible with the composition of local clay and clasts that reflect the geology of the Studenica’s surroundings. This indicates that almost all studied vessels are unequivocally made locally. However, four wares may represent imports because they show similarities with Byzantine sgraffito wares, and ceramics from the Peloponnese (13th century). In terms of technological and morphological characteristics, the studied pottery collection represents a standardized production. Firing temperatures, estimated according to the level of matrix ...
ABSTRACT From the Neolithic up to the present, people have used various methods to improve the su... more ABSTRACT From the Neolithic up to the present, people have used various methods to improve the surface of ceramic objects. In this study, we look specifically at smoothing and pattern burnishing of ceramics produced today by traditional methods. Optical microscopy and SEM show specific surface changes. Smoothing results in an irregular surface, which causes diffused reflection of light. Burnishing produces an even and compact surface, which causes specular reflection and lustre. The results can be used to infer methods of surface treatment employed by ancient peoples as well as to help identify the presence of ceramics production centres at archaeological sites.
Present study addresses potential of fungal strains, isolated from deteriorated mural paintings a... more Present study addresses potential of fungal strains, isolated from deteriorated mural paintings and surrounding air environment of the Church of the Holy Ascension in Veliki Krčimir (Serbia), to precipitate mycogenic minerals, when cultivated on agarized B4 medium. Utilizing culture-based isolation methods, 38 filamentous fungi were obtained in total, 23 from mural paintings and 15 from air, respectively, mainly ascomycetes, while Bjerkandera adusta and Thanatephorus cucumeris were only basidiomycetes. A total of 31 of 38 fungal isolates, more than 80%, were able to form minerals of different morphologies and variable size, determined via SEM-EDS and XRPD, to be either calcite or calcite and weddellite association. Among screened fungi, all Penicillium, Chaetomium and Cladosporium isolates, as well as most of the Aspergillus isolates (8/11) precipitated minerals, whereas cultures of Bionectria, Bjerkandera, and Seimatosporium isolates lacked any observable crystal forms. With the ex...
Abstract This study revisits a collection of chipped stone artefacts from Mesolithic layers of Le... more Abstract This study revisits a collection of chipped stone artefacts from Mesolithic layers of Lepenski Vir (Iron Gate, Serbia). A sub-set of 909 items of a collection excavated back in the 1960s is re-examined macro- and microscopically, which showed that the raw material is predominantly represented by chert (70.7%) and quartzite (21.5%), whereas volcanic rocks (6.2%) and other rock types (1.7%) are subordinate. Artefacts made of volcanic rocks are rare but they gave us the opportunity to unravel the geological/volcanological context of the samples and to hypothesize about the source area. Among the volcanic material we distinguish two subgroups: a) pyroclastic rocks, mainly represented by devitrified welded tuffs and pieces of pyroclastic-fall and phreatomagmatic deposits, and b) coherent volcanic rocks, mostly as hypocrystalline to vitrophyric rhyolite and dacite-rhyodacite. A detailed volcanological interpretation of these artefacts, in combination with our field observations and knowledge about the regional geology, suggests, first, that this raw material derives from a complete volcanic succession, and second, that the only candidate for the source area is the Permian volcanic complex of Sirinia in Romania. If our volcanological arguments are robust, they imply that the Lepenski Vir residents had skills to cross the Danube and collect raw material at the opposite riverbank. Given the lack of direct evidence for the river crossing, this conclusion should be taken with caution. However, our study at least argues that many similar artefact collections may be worth of re-investigating and searching for possibly ‘hidden’ petrogenetic links among the rock types found as raw material.
Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences
The EU Water Framework Directive requires the monitoring and evaluation of surface water sediment... more The EU Water Framework Directive requires the monitoring and evaluation of surface water sediment quality based on the assessment of risk posed by contamination on the biotic receptors. Fluvial sediments are important receptors of hazardous substances (HSs) pollution from the upstream catchment areas in the Danube River Basin (DRB). For the development of systematic sediment quality monitoring and evaluation, the Drava River region on the border of Hungary and Croatia was selected as a test area representative of lowland hydromorphological conditions. Overbank (floodplain) sediments and river bottom sediments (stream sediments) were sampled at two depths at 9 locations in the test area. Eight heavy metal(oid)s were analyzed As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Zn as hazardous substances. The sediment quality assessment was carried out according to the 2013/39/EU Directive and EU Water Framework Directive standards. Most of the analysed HS concentrations in river bottom sediment and overbank ...
On the basis of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrome... more On the basis of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray powder diffraction analyses, we present detailed mineralogical and petrographical characteristics of 63 samples of cooking and tablewares, which originate from two Medieval horizons (S1 and S2) in the Studenica Monastery, as well as of three samples of clays regarded as possible pottery raw material. The composition of the ceramic matrix is compatible with the composition of local clay and clasts that reflect the geology of the Studenica’s surroundings. This indicates that almost all studied vessels are unequivocally made locally. However, four wares may represent imports because they show similarities with Byzantine sgraffito wares, and ceramics from the Peloponnese (13th century). In terms of technological and morphological characteristics, the studied pottery collection represents a standardized production. Firing temperatures, estimated according to the level of matrix ...
ABSTRACT From the Neolithic up to the present, people have used various methods to improve the su... more ABSTRACT From the Neolithic up to the present, people have used various methods to improve the surface of ceramic objects. In this study, we look specifically at smoothing and pattern burnishing of ceramics produced today by traditional methods. Optical microscopy and SEM show specific surface changes. Smoothing results in an irregular surface, which causes diffused reflection of light. Burnishing produces an even and compact surface, which causes specular reflection and lustre. The results can be used to infer methods of surface treatment employed by ancient peoples as well as to help identify the presence of ceramics production centres at archaeological sites.
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