2024-03-28T13:38:49Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/176372018-09-13T09:08:13Zcom_10261_15com_10261_6col_10261_268
Microbes pose a risk to prehistoric cave paintings
González Grau, Juan Miguel
Portillo Guisado, María del Carmen
Sáiz-Jiménez, Cesáreo
Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España)
Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (España)
European Commission
Gobierno de Aragón
Prehistoric cave paintings
Biological factors
Damaging effects of microorganisms
Prehistoric cave paintings, some of them dating back 20,000 years, are a unique legacy of considerable importance. Because caves containing such paintings, particularly Altamira in
Spain and Lascaux in France, have drawn millions of visitors and attract considerable cultural and political attention, their preservation is a priority (Fig. 1). Prehistoric paintings are exposed to a variety of potentially damaging physical, chemical, and biological factors. Among the latter, microorganisms are of special importance through colony and biofilm formation. In some cases, microorganisms may damage or destroy paintings by using them as substrates during growth, by producing destructive metabolites, or by covering them. Hence, conservators, management agencies, and the general public share concerns about preserving these fragile works of art. Investigating the damaging effects of microorganisms on cave paintings involves two basic steps. First, investigators survey the diversity of microorganisms that are associated with paintings on cave walls to understand which components within those microbial communities are causing deterioration. Second, investigators try to uncover the metabolic capabilities of these microorganisms to learn which members carry a serious risk for that artwork.
The authors acknowledge financial support from a the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science projects CGL2006–11561/
BTE, CGL2006–07424/BOS and the I3 program project 200640I197 (cofinanced by FEDER funds), Spanish Ministry of
Culture (Contract 31321000710T), and the Government of Aragon project PM055/2006.
Peer reviewed
2009-10-13T14:37:32Z
2009-10-13T14:37:32Z
2008
artículo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Microbe magazine 3(2): 72-77 (2008)
1558-7452
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/17637
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010067
en
http://www.microbemagazine.org/
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American Society for Microbiology