Biodiversity's hidden treasure: Biodeteriorated archaeological tombstones of Serbia

Abstract

In the present study, biological colonization on medieval tombstones from archaeological sites in Serbia has been investigated. Chemical analyses showed that the stone substrata were mostly of calcium carbonate, which is highly bioreceptive. Large areas of tombstones were covered with epilithic lichenized fungi and mosses, and microbiological analyses showed the presence of micromycetes and cyanobacteria. The dominant group of fungi recorded on tombstone surfaces was microcolonial fungi, now recognized as primary colonizers of stone substrata.