Scanning electron microscopy protocol for studying anatomy of highly degraded waterlogged archaeological wood

Balzano, Angela (author), Merela, Maks (author), Čufar, Katarina (author)

Waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW), approximately 4500 years old, from the prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement at Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia, was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We propose a simplified protocol for sample preparation and the SEM technique for the study of highly degraded WAW of Quercus, Faxinus, Acer, Salix and Populus, representing taxa with different wood properties. We present the advantages of the proposed technique for wood identification, the observation of various anatomical features and for the study of cell wall degradation. SEM, equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), allowed us to detect significant amounts of Fe, S and Ca with different appearances, amounts and distributions in the wood of the studied taxa. In the case of Populus, an increased amount of Si was also detected. The applied SEM protocol allowed characterisation of the anatomy of the highly degraded WAW while reducing the time required for sample preparation and examination under the microscope, as well as extending the lifetime of the SEM components (e.g., tungsten filament), compared to the situation when we analyse wood samples with a greater volume.

• Language: English
• Keywords: waterlogged archaeological wood, scanning electron microscopy, wood anatomy, wood preservation, EDX, protocol
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Article acceptance date: 19.01.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 2, art. 161
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134659
• UDC: 630*8
• ISSN on article: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f13020161
• COBISS.SI-ID: 94546947
• Publication date in RUL: 24.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Forests
• Shortened title: Forests
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3872166

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.02.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: vrstična elektronska mikroskopija, anatomija lesa, zaščita lesa, protokol

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0015
• Name: Les in lignocelulozni kompoziti