The Biodeterioration Process in Compositionum: Four Ancient Multi-Material Volumes Studied by Multidisciplinary Approach
Source abstract
Abstract
Ancient books and documents constitute an important cultural heritage, which are composed by different supports, such as cardboard, parchment and paper. Due to their composition (animal- and plant-based matrices), they allow bacteria and fungi to thrive, causing the phenomenon of biodeterioration, an ecological succession in parchment. Four ancient books called “Compositionum” from the Apostolic Vatican Archive, made of the same materials, exposed to weather-beating conditions and showing different degrees of deterioration, were analysed by a multidisciplinary approach: DNA metabarcoding using NGS, Light Transmission Analysis and Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The results highlighted how the biodeteriogen community composition changed from the least to the most damaged, without evidence of significant microbial transfer across the three matrices. The results allow confirmation of the ecological succession as biodeterioration process, including cardboard and paper, in addition to in parchment. These results give important insight for the conservation and restoration practices of all matrices.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Building materials and conservation · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Conservation Techniques and Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
Department of Literary, Philosophical and Art History Studies, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Columbia 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Cesare de Lollis 21, 00185 Rome, Italy
Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Department of Industrial Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
Laboratory of Conservation, Restoration and Bookbinding, Vatican Apostolic Archive, Cortile del Belvedere, 00120 Vatican City, Vatican City State
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Via Isimbardi 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Funding
Ph.D. Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata
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