“…the cellulose and in particular the hemicellulose, degrade much faster than lignin, which usually stays rather unaffected. 30,31,42 With solid state 13 C NMR that employs cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS), structural and chemical differences between modern and archaeological wood can be studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. 31,43 For example, the resonance peaks from hemicellulose at ~21 and ~173 ppm were virtually absent in archaeological ligno-cellulosic material from Greece, indicating the degree and type of degradation (chemical lysis or biodeterioration).…”