Reconstructing Microbial Communities Within Roman Turf Ramparts

The Grassroots project used microbial and geochemical methods to study turf blocks taken from preserved turf ramparts at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, UK. The turf blocks used to build these ramparts presented visually intact sequences of prehistoric and Roman vegetation covers as well as topsoil and subsoil layers. Our aim was to develop a proof-of-concept methodology for reconstructing ancient environmental conditions and studying land use.
For this study a range of samples were taken:
1. Bulk grab samples across two vertical profiles taken at systematic intervals in the field,
2. Boxed field samples, sub-sampled in the lab targeting different soil horizons and layers characterised by micromorphology,
3. Samples from resinated box samples from which thin section slides had been prepared already.
This presentation presents results of the bacterial and fungal communities identified within the samples specifically focusing on linking the microbial communities to the identified soil horizons within the turf. It is thought that preservation of the environmental conditions within turf at Vindolanda stabilises the microbial community and is indicative of soil conditions at the time. It is hoped that studying these communities further allows a more detailed understanding of microbially mediated processes such as nutrient cycling at the time and provide an insight into agricultural practices for the production of turf.