The microbial diversity and community in the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui Site (Sichuan, China)

Microbial diversity analysis is emerging as an indispensable approach to research the archaeological remains, capable of conveying a range of unique archaeological information. In the study, the high-throughput sequencing has been utilized to analyze the microbial diversity of soil samples from the artefact layer in the sacrificial pits of the Sanxingdui Site. In term of the unique perspective for interpretation the archaeological issues, the study were carried out for: (1) the microbial diversity and community of soil in the lower layer of artefacts in sacrificial pits, (2) the potential biodeterioration behavior of organic and inorganic relics, (3) the impact of sacrificial and burial activities in different sacrificial pits on microbiome. The combination of microbiology and archaeology will shed light on the archaeological issues related to the ancient human activities and behaviors.