The mycological properties of cultural layers excavated from medieval Slavonic settlements (IX–XIV A. D.) have been examined. The mycobiota of cultural layers differs from the surrounding soils in the increasing share of spores in fungal biomass, the highest microfungal species diversity, their composition, and the increased frequency of Penicillium species, which are able to grow at elevated temperature (37 °C). These mycological characteristics of the cultural layers were found to be similar to those of modern urban soils. The possibility to use mycological characteristics as some form of “soil mycological memory” of ancient human impact is discussed.
Keywords: microfungi, soil, cultural layers, species diversity, bioindicators.