Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador)
Scientific studies concerning the causes and consequences of the biodeterioration of stone monuments located at high altitudes in permanently cold, mountainous regions are scarce. For that reason, this study aimed to detect and identify the bacteria involved in the deterioration of this type of monu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Heritage |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/5/3/130 |
| _version_ | 1827660444704178176 |
|---|---|
| author | Luis Andrés Yarzábal Lenys Buela Asunción de los Ríos Diana Peláez Martha Romero Fernando Espinoza Alisson Samantha Torres Gina Maritza Medina Jaqueline Gabriela Landi Marco Vinicio Tapia |
| author_facet | Luis Andrés Yarzábal Lenys Buela Asunción de los Ríos Diana Peláez Martha Romero Fernando Espinoza Alisson Samantha Torres Gina Maritza Medina Jaqueline Gabriela Landi Marco Vinicio Tapia |
| author_sort | Luis Andrés Yarzábal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Scientific studies concerning the causes and consequences of the biodeterioration of stone monuments located at high altitudes in permanently cold, mountainous regions are scarce. For that reason, this study aimed to detect and identify the bacteria involved in the deterioration of this type of monument. To achieve this goal, we focused on the most important archeological Inca site in the Ecuadorian Andes: Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun, built approximately 500 years ago at 3.100 m.a.s.l. We first examined the stone surfaces of the temple by scanning electron microscopy and showed the detrimental impact on the mineral structure of the green andesite mineral used to build the temple, caused by crustose lichen thalli and heterotrophic bacteria. Then, we isolated, characterized, and identified several of these bacteria. Most of them multiplied at a wide range of temperatures, from 4 °C to 30 °C, and were thus considered eurypsychrophiles. Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria species dominated the culturable fraction of this community. Several isolates produced metabolites that solubilized mineral phosphates at low temperatures; others solubilized iron-containing mineral fractions in the green andesite rock when tested in vitro. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report related to the biodeterioration of an Inca monument at such an altitude in the Andes range. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:51:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1c486df235f42349d6636d56100083c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-9408 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:51:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1c486df235f42349d6636d56100083c2023-11-23T16:32:49ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082022-09-01532504251810.3390/heritage5030130Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador)Luis Andrés Yarzábal0Lenys Buela1Asunción de los Ríos2Diana Peláez3Martha Romero4Fernando Espinoza5Alisson Samantha Torres6Gina Maritza Medina7Jaqueline Gabriela Landi8Marco Vinicio Tapia9Carrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorCarrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorDepartment of Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, SpainCentro de Investigación, Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología (CIITT), Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Ricaurte 010162, EcuadorUnidad de Laboratorio y Análisis, Instituto Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural, Quito 170520, EcuadorUnidad de Laboratorio y Análisis, Instituto Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural, Quito 170520, EcuadorCarrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorCarrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorCarrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorCarrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorScientific studies concerning the causes and consequences of the biodeterioration of stone monuments located at high altitudes in permanently cold, mountainous regions are scarce. For that reason, this study aimed to detect and identify the bacteria involved in the deterioration of this type of monument. To achieve this goal, we focused on the most important archeological Inca site in the Ecuadorian Andes: Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun, built approximately 500 years ago at 3.100 m.a.s.l. We first examined the stone surfaces of the temple by scanning electron microscopy and showed the detrimental impact on the mineral structure of the green andesite mineral used to build the temple, caused by crustose lichen thalli and heterotrophic bacteria. Then, we isolated, characterized, and identified several of these bacteria. Most of them multiplied at a wide range of temperatures, from 4 °C to 30 °C, and were thus considered eurypsychrophiles. Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria species dominated the culturable fraction of this community. Several isolates produced metabolites that solubilized mineral phosphates at low temperatures; others solubilized iron-containing mineral fractions in the green andesite rock when tested in vitro. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report related to the biodeterioration of an Inca monument at such an altitude in the Andes range.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/5/3/130Inca monumentbiodeteriorationheterotrophic bacteriaeurypsychrophilic bacteriaAndean mountains |
| spellingShingle | Luis Andrés Yarzábal Lenys Buela Asunción de los Ríos Diana Peláez Martha Romero Fernando Espinoza Alisson Samantha Torres Gina Maritza Medina Jaqueline Gabriela Landi Marco Vinicio Tapia Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) Heritage Inca monument biodeterioration heterotrophic bacteria eurypsychrophilic bacteria Andean mountains |
| title | Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) |
| title_full | Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) |
| title_fullStr | Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) |
| title_short | Biological Deterioration of an Inca Monument at High Altitude in the Andean Range: A Case Study from Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun (Ecuador) |
| title_sort | biological deterioration of an inca monument at high altitude in the andean range a case study from ingapirca s temple of the sun ecuador |
| topic | Inca monument biodeterioration heterotrophic bacteria eurypsychrophilic bacteria Andean mountains |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/5/3/130 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luisandresyarzabal biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT lenysbuela biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT asunciondelosrios biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT dianapelaez biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT martharomero biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT fernandoespinoza biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT alissonsamanthatorres biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT ginamaritzamedina biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT jaquelinegabrielalandi biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador AT marcoviniciotapia biologicaldeteriorationofanincamonumentathighaltitudeintheandeanrangeacasestudyfromingapircastempleofthesunecuador |