cell wall and most of the primary cell wall had been utilised by micro-
organisms. All that remained was the compound middle lamella, its shape
being retained because the degraded cell lumen was filled with water and
bacterial degradation products (Figure 6). These observations were reflected
by the bulk density and cell wall component analyses. The bulk density of all
small artefacts analysed was between 90 and 110 kg m^3 regardless of the
spatial position within Nydam. There was no “density gradient” measured
within the artefacts as is often seen in archaeological artefacts. This would
seem to be the lowest density of wood, which can be achieved – regardless of
age, environment and wood species, and reflects the density of the compound
middle lamella. This was supported by the cellulose and lignin results, which
reflect the expected amounts to be found in the compound middle lamella
(approximately 60% and 20% lignin and cellulose respectively). Importantly,
all these results show that just because the surface details of an artefact are
poorly preserved from an archaeological perspective, does not mean that the
artefact is in a worse state of preservation when considered from a conserva-
tion perspective.
It is highly unlikely that there will be further microbial degradation of the
smaller artefacts if the environment remains waterlogged. Yet, with the
advent and use of molecular biological techniques to identify wood-degrading
microorganisms this may be confirmed or refuted. The implications of this
322 Chapter 12
Figure 6Deterioration of a pine arrow shaft by Erosion Bacteria. Secondary cell wall (RM)
converted into residual material. Compound Middle Lamellae (CML) physically
retains the dimensions of the cell