Ultrastructural Observation of Bacterial Attacks on the Waterlogged Archaeological Woods

세균에 의한 수침고목재 피해양태의 초미시구조적 관찰

Micromorphological changes in waterlogged archaeological woods excavated from Sweden and Germany were investigated. Especially bacterial attacks on those wood samples under near anaerobic conditions were examined by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The major feature of micromorphological alterations in those wood samples was the preferential destruction of secondary wood cell wall. In contrast, the middle lamella was not extensively degraded. Three distinct degradation patterns by bacteria were observed : erosion, cavitation and tunnelling bacteria. Erosion and cavitation bacteria attacked primarily $S_2$ layer, whereas tunnelling bacteria made the tunnel-like degradation along the $S_1$ layer. Tunnelling bacteria, in some samples, were able to degrade tunnel in the lignin-rich areas, such as middle lamella, suggesting that these bacteria had the capacity to degrade the lignin. IR spectra indicate that hemicellulose and cellulose in the waterlogged woods were preferentially decomposed. Breakdown of the lignin, on the other hand, was much slower.