Evaluating Earth Construction Techniques on Ancient Architecture: an Exploratory Use of Empirical Field Tests in West Asia (Tell Zurghul/Nigin)

The application of empirical field tests aims to integrate archaeological insights with material science to inform conservation practices, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in preserving earthen heritage, and informing conservative strategies for the preservation and restoration of earthen structures. Sixteen samples – fifteen archaeological and one modern – were analysed from the site of Tell Zurghul/Nigin, south-eastern Iraq, dating from the mid-5th to mid-3rd millennium BCE, to assess raw material composition, grain size, clay behaviour, organic content, cohesion in wet and dry states, and surface adhesion.

Results demonstrate homogeneity in material composition across the time span, primarily fine sands with minimal clay or silt, suggesting favourable drainage, minimal shrinkage, and reduced cracking but limited cohesion, implying a potential need for stabilisers such as plastic clays or fibres in construction. The Dataset contains all raw data pertaining to the empirical field tests carried out on mudbrick samples from the site of Tell Zurghul/Nigin (Dhi Qar province, Iraq), analysed as part of the EnEAp project.